Seasons Change
by xScenex
Summary: During the Formal Halloween Ball, Hermione has a run in with Draco. After an unfortunate event, Hermione is sent back in time twenty years to the Marauders era to fulfill a prophecy of her own. Eventual HGRL, JPLE shipping and character death. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own any of these characters._

A/N: This is my first fanfiction. I'm not too sure about the plot that I have in mind, but if anyone has any ideas, they'd be greatly appreciated. - Min

* * *

A soft, cool breeze blew over the grounds of Hogwarts, scattering fallen leaves across the grassy terrain, and into the lake, causing small ripples in the water. The air was crisp with the significance of fall, the evening sky turning from oranges and pinks to purples and blues that slowly faded into the silky blackness of the night sky.

That night was of brilliant substance, the dawning of the stars peeking out from behind the velvety curtain of colors. Beautiful, white and silver floral decorations adorned the pillars leading into the castle's Great Hall and the House Tables had been removed, leaving the area a large dance floor. The walls were covered in sparkly tinsel and sequenced draperies that connected to the huge ceiling whereas leaving the mirrored image of the sky outside uncovered so that the revealing stars twinkled down on the empty tiled floor below and the full moon loomed quietly to the side awaiting it's entrance.

Tonight was Halloween, and as Professor Dumbledore had promised, the whole school was hosting a Formal Halloween Ball instead of the usual feast. All students were allowed to attend and all participants were to dress formally and act civil. Professor Dumbledore had encouraged everyone to 'get to know their opposite houses' better during the ball, but most students knew that would never happen.

At the moment, no one had stepped foot into the Great hall. Everyone was in their dormitories, getting ready for the ball, or they were sitting in their House common rooms, talking amongst themselves. But as this story leads us, we'll find ourselves in the dormitory of Hermione Granger…

* * *

"Ginny!" Huffed Hermione as she studied her image in the tall mirror across from her bed.

"What's wrong, 'Mione?" Spoke the red-head sitting on her friends bed, slipping on her light blue high heels to match her equally blue strapless dress.

"Everything! I can't get my hair fixed and my dress just doesn't look right anymore. I don't know if going to this ball is such a good idea." Hermione squealed in an exasperated manner, her usual bossy conduct evaporated in the upcoming atmosphere.

"Oh, come off of it, everything will be fine." Ginny replied shortly as she stood up and joined her friend in the mirror and considered her friends image. "Let me see what you've done to yourself."

Hermione was wearing a silky, lavender colored halter dress that went past her knees in elegant folds that hugged her legs gently and beautifully. It fit on her in all the right curves, leaving her looking older than she was and much more gorgeous than she had ever thought possible. She wore white high heels to match, though she disliked the whole concept of uncomfortable shoes. Her hair was fixed so that it was straighter, not the usual messy mane of curly brown hair. Though, her hair had become manageable after her fifth year. Now, she had it fixed so that it cascaded down her back and over her shoulders in a wavy manner and it was parted slightly to the side. She also had put on a small amount of makeup, mainly consisting of light colored eye shadow and lip gloss.

"Oh…" Ginny whispered, her eyes becoming larger than usual. "Hermione, you look absolutely gorgeous."

"Do you really think so, Ginny?" She turned to her friend hopefully.

"Of course! Wow, I'd give anything to look like you do tonight." Breathed Ginny, still looking at her friends reflection.

"Thanks." Hermione allowed herself to smile at her younger friend. "I'm just so uneasy about all this."

"I know what you mean." Ginny answered.

Hermione slipped away from the full length mirror and sat down on her bed near her trunk. She opened it up and pulled out a small box that she kept all the jewelry she ever owned in. She wasn't a big fan of jewelry, but she had a few possessions that had been given to her over the years.

Opening the box carefully, she peered inside of it and prodded at the contents inside. There was a pearl necklace that glowed oddly in the dim light of the room, several silver bracelets, a golden bracelet, a pair of simple, silver hoop earrings, and a silver locket in the shape of a rose. The locket had been given to her by Ginny the previous year and she had placed a picture of Harry and Ginny together in there on one side, and on the other she put a picture of Ron. They were the closest people she had to friends but she was grateful to have such friends as them.

Smiling to herself, Hermione took out the locket and put it around her neck, slipped on the silver bracelets, then she took out the hoop earrings and put them on. The older girl replaced the box into her trunk and stood up again, smoothing out her dress.

"I can't believe you talked me into this, Ginny." Hermione laughed, beginning to feel nervous.

"I know. I was surprised I talked you into this too, but I'm glad I did. You'll have loads of fun." Ginny said, putting on some jewelry also and then applied a bit more lip gloss.

"I hope so. Thanks, Ginny."

"No problem."

"Hermione, I'm going to head on down already, I'll see you at the ball!" Ginny said excitedly after a moment then slipped out of the room before the older girl could respond.

After a few minutes, Hermione got her nerve up and decided to go down to the common room. Slipping quietly out of her dormitory with her dress skirt billowing majestically around her bare legs, she made her way down the hall and to the staircase that would be her entrance to anyone else that may be there still. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before taking her first few steps down the stairs. After a few moments, she re-opened her eyes to survey the room around her and she felt her stomach give a not so promising lurch when she saw all eyes on her.

The sixth year girl smiled timidly at the occupants of the room before descending the rest of the way down the stairs. A few guys that had been goggling at her turned away sheepishly and she walked forward a bit, looking around for anyone that might seem familiar. Hermione then spotted a messy raven haired boy standing near the fireplace with his back turned to her and a fiery red haired boy, clearly sticking him out as Ginny's brother who was waving his arms in the air clearly trying to get a point across as Harry and Ron were engulfed in a conversation that they deemed serious.

Hermione gulped quietly and began walking to the fireplace towards her two best friends. As she passed the numerous occupants of the room, they stared at her and she felt her face flush slightly.

When she moved her way over to the two boys, she caught part of their conversation.

"No, that's not right Ron--"

"Blimey, Harry, it's fine. Hermione wont mind… I know I wont."

"What makes you think that?" The dark haired boy inquired.

"Well, she's a girl--"

"Of course she is! Ron, where've you been mate?" Harry cut in.

"Here!" Ron cried indifferently.

Hermione decided to put in her two knuts worth. "Obviously not Ronald."

Ron looked over Harry's shoulder and his jaw dropped remarkably low. Harry stiffened slightly at first, then curiosity got the better of him from his friends expression and he turned around to face Hermione. His eyes became huge and his mouth did the same number as Ron's.

"Well, hello to you too." Hermione huffed, deciding not to press them about what they were talking about.

"Her-Hermione?" Ron sputtered and blinked furiously.

"What?" Hermione smiled sweetly at him, knowing what he was getting at.

"You look wonderful, Hermione." Harry told her with a smile playing along his lips.

"Thank you, Harry. You guys look great too." She said, noting the black tuxedoes they'd adorned, wearing white shirts under them with black ties, then the girl swatted at Ron who was still looking shocked. "Honestly, Ron. It's not like you haven't seen me dressed up before. Remember the Yule Ball?"

He nodded stupidly and Hermione had to laugh at him. She knew that Ron had certain feelings for her, and she did for him, but she wasn't ready to let her feelings get the better of her. She still had a whole career in front of her to plan, and she didn't want her emotions to get in the way. Hermione just didn't find that there would ever be any time in her schedule for a boyfriend. Harry interrupted her thoughts by saying, "Well you guys, I think it's time to head out to the ball." He made a face and made Hermione smile wickedly at him.

"It won't be that bad, Harry. Besides, Ginny will be there." She gave him a cheeky smile, then wove an arm around one of Ron's and Harry's and the trio trotted out of the common room, Ron mumbling something about 'that's my sister you're talking about.'

* * *

They had decided to take a longer route to the Great Hall as their nerves got the better of them. Clearly, they were all hesitant to go and Ron was so panicky he began babbling incoherently.

"Ron, it'll be fine." Harry patted the other boys back slightly in a way that men deemed comforting.

"Yeah, maybe for you." He choked out, turning his head left and right.

"How about this, Ron." Hermione piped up, hoping to calm him down. "When the dancing starts, I'll be your first dance partner."

Ron looked at her in a disbelieving way and his face turned an interesting shade of red as he smiled and nodded.

"Great, now that that's settled, we can act our age now." The brown haired girl said, bouncing lightly as she walked and causing her hair to wave back and forth.

"What!" Harry cried out as if he took a painful stab to his ego. "You can't be serious? Since when have we _never_ acted our age?"

"Since I met you." She replied shortly.

"Oh, well, if that's the case," Harry said pointedly, then ran up behind Hermione, his arms encircling around her waist, "I'll just have to be more childish around you to annoy you!"

The girl let out a loud shriek as she was lifted up into the air and swung in a circle. "Harry, let me down this instant!"

Ron cackled evilly and Harry shouted something that was inaudible to her because of her own shriek echoing in her ears. The carrier of the girl swung her around a few more times, then walked over to his other companion who held his arms outstretched in front of him and Harry slid one of his arms under her legs and hoisted her up in the bridal carrying way before dumping her into the other boys arms.

"There's your date, Ron."

"Let me down!" She wriggled in his hold. "If you don't, I'll hex you all the way to next week!"

"Oh no, Ron. You better watch it. She's feeling feisty tonight." Harry winked at her and ran off down the hall, laughing at her continued threats.

"HARRY! You're going to pay for saying that!" She shouted, holding her fist up in the air at his retreating back and accidentally hit Ron on the head. "Oops, sorry Ronald."

"S'fine, 'Mione." He grinned cheekily at her. "Just, now you owe me."

Hermione huffed again and jumped out of Ron's grasp, despite his struggle to keep holding onto her. "I don't owe you. It's you that owe me."

Ron was about to respond when they turned a corner and the Great Hall stood in front of them, students littering the dance floor and the decorations glittering beautifully in the soft candle light. The tapestries billowed from the movement in the room and the gusty fall wind that entered from the open doors that led outside. Everything was all glittery and billowy and shiny and… things along that genre.

"Oh my…" Hermione exclaimed quietly to herself.

The hall had been filled with students who all looked unfamiliar in their dress clothes instead of robes. Hermione felt butterflies form in her stomach. She'd never been so nervous in her life, even though she'd had all sorts of tests and obstacles to do. She'd never been to good with dealing with guys, unless they were Harry or Ron. Hermione's mind wondered until a voice suddenly sounded above the chatter of the students.

"Welcome, students, to the formal Halloween Ball. I'm pleased to see that so many of you have shown up for this festivity!" Hermione turned to see Professor Dumbledore speaking on a platform, wearing a set of wizard dress robes the color of the night sky. "It is my pleasure to hold such an event tonight on such a perfect evening. The night is young and of course, Halloween is a holiday we all love to celebrate. So now, let us enjoy the night with music from the Weird Sisters, whom have so generously offered their presence to us tonight." There was loud applause in which Dumbledore paused to speak then continued when it quieted down. " So now, let us welcome, the Weird Sisters!"

The band entered the hall from behind a curtain and was greeted with another bout of loud applause and cheering. They set up their instruments on the platform before they struck up a medium tune in which Professor Dumbledore shouted, "And now, let us dance!" Then he grabbed a rather startled Professor McGonagall by an arm and hurried her to the dance floor.

Hermione watched with amusement as most students made their way around the hall unsure of themselves. Part of the group was separated, making the whole scene comical. The Slytherin's were all grouped up on the right side of the room, a few Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's mixed in. The other majority was huddled on the other side of the hall, whereas the professors were dancing about in the center.

The girl stared up at the ceiling as she walked forward, dragging Ron with her, and the full moon now in clear view amongst the stars. Hermione's breathe caught in her throat as she marveled at what a wonderful night it was. She'd never seen the sky look so clear and sparkly. Maybe she would have fun that night, as Ginny as told her she would.

She glanced to her right, seeing Ron looking at her. When he saw her eyes dart to his, he blushed and turned his head to the side, muttering something that Hermione couldn't hear. She had to hide her smile, knowing what Ron was like during events like this.

"Let's dance, Ron."

Ron nodded and led her out to the dance floor where a waltzing Dumbledore and McGonagall were, though he looked as if Hermione made a sudden fast movement, he would bolt right out of hall, leaving her in the dust.

Hermione had to guide him into the dancing positions, placing his left hand on her slender hip and then took his other hand in her own, entwining her fingers with his. She smiled at him encouragingly and he smiled nervously down at her in return as she placed her left hand on his shoulder.

"You're not much of a dancer, are you Ron?" She teased him.

"No, not really." He told her truthfully, his ears turning red beneath his shaggy-like hair.

Hermione laughed halfheartedly at him, and stared up into his sparkling blue eyes, his own gaze never faltering. He looked so determined and anxious, and suddenly, Hermione felt the same way.

Hermione sidestepped and Ron followed. She then turned to the right, him following so that they moved about in a slow circle, hand in hand. The Weird Sisters had long since struck up a slower tune, one that matched their dancing style perfectly. Ron made sure not to step on her feet, and Hermione couldn't keep a smile off of her face.

She didn't know how long she danced with him, their eyes locked onto each other. She wasn't even sure if she wanted the moment to end. She'd never imagined she'd feel that way, dancing with Ron, but now that the chance had came and she took the opportunity, she felt as if they were meant for each other.

Hermione was lost in her thoughts when suddenly, Ron became daring and took her into a half spin, then dipped her down so that he held her up with an arm encircled around her waist, while he kept hold of her other hand. The girl let out a gasp of surprise at the sudden movement, her hair swaying over her shoulders and nearly to the floor.

"R-Ron?" Hermione questioned the look on his face.

Without an answer from him, he lent over hesitantly as if he wasn't too sure of what he was doing. Deciding on his decision unknown to his dance partner, he then pulled her up a bit so that in his bent position so that her face and his face came closer and closer…

"WEASLEY KING!"

Ron, startled by the sudden shout, let go of Hermione by accident and she fell with a loud thump onto the tiled floor.

Draco was walking towards them, a grin on his face as he surveyed the scene he'd caused. "I see that Granger and Weasel feet are having, er, fun."

Hermione stood up with Ron's help, her bum hurting remarkably and her head spinning as Ron mumbled he was sorry over and over again. She looked over at Draco, who looked like he'd spent an hour putting gel in his hair.

"We were having fun until you interrupted." Hermione spat at him.

"Did I ruin something?" The platinum haired by sneered at her and Hermione glared at him, her eyes locked onto his own story grey ones.

"Go away, ferret face." Ron told him irritably, his ears a bright shade of red.

"I'll go away when I feel like it, Weasley King." He drawled as his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle came up behind him.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" The brown haired girls words were filled with anger and irritation.

"I just wanted to have some fun… You know, annoy some first years, piss off some sixth years. The usual." He told her in the same tone as before while looking down at his perfectly manicured nails.

"You're not wanted here, Malfoy." Hermione notified him.

"Stupid Mudblood. You should have more manners." He drawled once more and Hermione scrunched up her nose in annoyance.

"Leave me alone, Malfoy. If you don't, you'll regret it." She hissed at him.

"What are you going to do to me? You clearly don't have your wand with you." He said, eyeing her just in case while his groupies cracked their knuckles in a way they thought was menacing.

"Humph!" Hermione glared at him again, then before Draco was aware, she brought the back of her hand to the side of his face.

**SMACK.**

She watched triumphantly as he staggered back from her, holding his palm to the side of his face. "Granger, you'll pay for that."

Hermione narrowed her eyes as he pulled his wand out from under his tuxedo. (A/N: Yes, I realized that what they are wearing isn't what a witch or wizard would wear, but I decided to go for the formal ball wear, I.e. Tuxedo's and dresses. Of course, the professors are wearing dress robes because.. I just can't picture Dumbledore in a tuxedo, can you?) He aimed the point of his wand at Hermione and smirked.

"You wouldn't dare." She countered.

"I would." He replied simply.

Ron, who'd been looking around for, no doubt, Harry, had just noticed the wand pointed at his dance partner and let out an angry grunt and launched himself forward towards Malfoy. Crabbe got in his way though, and Ron slammed head first into his chest, causing him to stagger back. Crabbe then grabbed him by the front of his tux and jerked him to the side while Ron aimed a well judged fist into his face.

Malfoy, however, was still holding his wand at Hermione. The brown haired girl looked around. For once, she knew she'd have to run because she didn't have any other way to protect herself from magic. She'd left her wand up in her room, thinking she wouldn't need it; but she had been dearly mistaken. She couldn't just leave Ron though.

Goyle had joined the brawl between Ron and Crabbe, though it seemed like Ron was getting his own share of well aimed punches and kicks. Hermione didn't have time to watch him though as Draco took a few steps towards her, his infamous sneer plastered onto his face.

Without thinking any further, Hermione saw an opening through a gap of students to her left. Her visible path of escaped consisted of running through the students, out the double doors, and out onto the grounds of Hogwarts. Deciding that she wouldn't wait any longer, she glanced at the point of Draco's wand, then dashed to the right of him. She wound herself around the startled students, the bottom of her dress whipping around her legs.

Looking back, she saw Malfoy pursuing her through the crowd, obvious displeasure etched into his face. Hermione cursed quietly under her breath. She should have known Malfoy wouldn't let her get away with smacking him; now she was in trouble.

She ran as fast as she dared in her high heels, hoping she wouldn't trip. Running past the double doors, the girl found herself surrounded by the soft darkness of that October night. Turning abruptly, she moved along the side of the castle in the direction of the lake. The moon cast off a soft, eerie light that allowed her to see her way across the grounds.

Of course, Hermione knew Draco was following her, and she affirmed her theory when she saw a jet of light flash by her, only inches from her shoulder. She felt a slight jolt of panic in her stomach at the thought that she couldn't defend herself against him, but she ran until she was at the lake, Malfoy shooting numerous spells at her but missing every time. She was out of breathe now, and she turned around to face Malfoy as he skidded to a stop a few yards away.

"Stop it, Malfoy." She was startled to hear the fear in her own voice.

"Why, Granger? I finally have a chance to get you back for all those times you got me." He scoffed.

"You're pathetic." She glowered at him.

"No, you're pathetic, you Mudblood."

"Stuff it, ferret face."

Draco laughed quietly to himself, then aimed his wand more steadily. "You're going to regret ever stepping foot into this school, Granger."

Hermione watched at he took another step forwards then flourished his wand in a specific pattern. Then, he opened his mouth to say the incantation and was halfway through when all of a sudden, a large barn owl dove down near him from a tree behind Hermione, causing his words to become jumbled together in an odd sort of gibberish as his arms flailed to get the owl away.

A bright, golden light erupted from the tip of his wand and shot towards Hermione. She shrieked and tried to dodge but it was too fast for her. It caught her in the chest, knocking her back onto the springy grass near the lake and blinding her with white luminosity. The girls head spun in a nauseated way until everything faded back to the darker vista around her. Her was blurry and she could make out the profile of Malfoy while he watched her open mouthed and then, before she knew what was happening, she felt a tug on her body and her world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I had part of this chapter typed out last night after I posted the first chapter, but I decided to re-do it because I just wanted to. I didn't like how it was coming along, so I took a different approach to it and also I'm having a few home difficulties to deal with so I have to stop every so often to do some things. So, here it is, the better part of Chapter 2. Tell me what you guys think, please! - Min

**Wally4ever:** Thank you! I can't wait until it unravels too. I keep wanting to skip ahead to the better parts, but I have to put in the important stuff, or the things that lead on so that it makes sense. ;-; I agree about Remus/Hermione stories. That's why I'm writing this as my first fan fiction and I can't think of a word for them either. Well, here's the update!

**Dakforces: **Thank you! Here's the next chapter.

**Evil Cat Hater:**Thank you! I didn't want to make another cliché story with a time turner or portal so I decided to take a different lead with this story. The whole ordeal with the owl and the golden light will be revealed in a later chapter. I'll try to get that typed soon!

* * *

The cold, October wind whipped about the silhouetted trees, causing them to creak and groan mournfully in the dark abyss of the night. The wind rippled over the water of the lake, leaving the water splashing against its bank in white foam. The full moon left an eerie light about the grounds as it began to rise up into the sky and wisps of clouds drifted through the heavens momentarily shadowing the glow of the moon.

Hermione Granger lay at the bank of the lake, feeling slightly groggy and her upper body smarting painfully as if she'd been kicked by a horse. She opened her eyes slowly and shivered involuntarily as the wind lashed against her bare arms and her slightly bare legs. She didn't remember it being this cold before.

Closing her eyes for a moment and thinking, everything rapidly flooded back to her and she gasped, whirling her head to look for Draco, but that was a bad idea. She suddenly became dizzy and she felt bile rise up in the back of her throat as her vision blurred again.

"Ugh…"

She closed her eyes and swallowed heavily, trying to keep herself from spilling all the contents of her stomach out. After she was sure she wouldn't be sick she opened her eyes and pushed herself up off the ground until she sat on her knees. She looked around once more and realized that the castle wasn't lit up like it had been during the ball. She must have been out there for a while, considering that the ball must be over, but she noticed that the full moon was just now coming into view. She could have sworn that Malfoy had chased her outside when the moon had been in the middle of the sky…

She cringed at the thought of Malfoy. Whatever he did to her, he was going to pay dearly for it. Hermione shook her head, still feeling slightly groggy then she crossed her arms against her chest, rubbing each of her arms for warmth. She didn't trust herself with standing up just yet, knowing that if she tried and got dizzy, it most likely meant she'd be going for a nightly swim in the lake with the squid.

She began mumbling to herself all the spells she would cast on Draco the next time she saw him, but unexpectedly, she heard a far off noise and she stopped speaking instantly. The girl turned her head sharply to see what the noise was, and saw the Whomping Willow outlined against the sky. The noise was coming from that direction.

_Who would be at the Whomping Willow? _Hermione wondered to herself, and forced herself to stand up. She fought the wave of dizziness that threatened to overtake her, and she slowly made her way to the tree. She was a Prefect, so it was her duty to make sure no one was wandering around on the grounds at night. She could get in trouble herself, but she might as well make sure that no first or second years were playing around with the tree; they would get hurt.

As she neared the tree, she heard growling and the sound of something in pain. Three forms could be seen from where Hermione stood. On closer inspection, one looked like a deer, another looked like a large dog, and the other was…

Hermione gasped and stumbled backwards a bit, tripping as she was still in her high heels and fell on her bottom with a soft thud, the grass cushioning the fall. She stared, wide-eyed at the third form that had just turned to look at her when it heard her gasp. She stared, eye to eye with a werewolf; its long, sharp teeth glistening in the moon light and its eyes raging with madness. The girl wasn't exactly scared at that moment, she was more shocked than anything. The only other time she had ever been face to face with a werewolf was in her third year when Professor Lupin had forgotten to take his potion and had changed right in front of Harry, Ron, Sirius, Professor Snape, Peter Pettigrew, and herself.

She watched as it lashed out at the large dog, trying to get past it so that it could get to something beyond it… then she realized it was her. When Hermione become conscious of this, she scurried back a bit, knowing she wouldn't be able to get up and run if she tried, even if she took off her high heels. Then something tugged at her mind and she was lost in confusion.

The whole scenario of things in front of her seemed to flip a switch in her mind. She desperately scanned her thoughts, trying to figure out what it was. Finally, she grasped what it had been that seemed so recognizable.

She recalled Sirius taking form of a large black dog just like the one in front of her. She knew that Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf, and Harry's father turned into a stag. She learned this from Harry, and saw some of it herself; but how was this possible? Sirius was dead, Harry's father was dead, and Professor Lupin… he just wasn't at Hogwarts.

What had happened to her? Was she having a dream? What was going on in front of her couldn't possibly be what her mind was screaming at her. The Marauders were broken, and it couldn't just be a coincidence of what she was seeing in front of her. Nothing would be that ironic and surely Dumbledore would have said something to her about there being a werewolf at Hogwarts.

There was a loud growl and the girl was conveyed back to her senses once more. She looked in front of her, seeing that the stag had dragged the werewolf back a few yards but it was flailing it arms menacingly in the air and had hit the large dog in the face, knocking it over. It was getting back up on its feet but the werewolf had passed by it and was advancing on Hermione, regardless of the stag that continued to try and pester it away.

Hermione then got all feeling back in her body and kicked off her high heels, stood up and dashed in the opposite direction of the werewolf. It let out a strangled howl as the prongs of the stag slammed against its chest. Smashing its right paw into the face of the other large animal, it caused it to stagger slightly, leaving an opening for the werewolf to run after the fleeing girl.

Hermione of course, wasn't going to take any chances by looking over her shoulder. Just by the noises beyond her, she knew that the werewolf had broken free of its hold by the other fauna and was advancing on her. She wasn't particularly looking where she was going and she found herself running towards the forbidden forest, her breathing coming out in large gasps likely caused by the spell that had hit her before.

_Damn! How could I get myself in this situation again! Last time this happened, we trapped ourselves in the forest!_ The girl cursed herself between pants, for letting that happen again. It was just _way_ too ironic for this to be happening; especially with how things turned out in third year. Though, last time she wasn't by herself…

Before she could acknowledge it, she found herself going head first into the foliage of the forest. The eerily lit grounds suddenly turned into pitch black shadows and forms. She desperately pulled herself through problematic bushes and vines but kept getting stuck. _This_ was a problem.

The werewolf had to have been right on her heels when she'd entered the forest area. She couldn't hear the creature though, through the odd noises coming from the tress and undergrowth. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood on end as the muffled sounds of the night came to her. She backed up away from the tangle of shrubbery she'd caught herself in and felt her back hit the rough bark of a large tree.

She took long, slow breaths as she stood stationary against the tree. Her chest hurt remarkably more worse than it had earlier and her feet stung from her bare-footed run across the grounds and through a small part of the forest. Her mind was reeling and she felt a light throbbing at the back of her head where a headache was coming along. The girl buried her face in her upturned hands, not knowing what she was going to do.

The one thing going through her mind was, _what had I just seen?_ The only thing that would come to mind was the Marauders in their time. Before Sirius had died, he'd told her stories of him and his friends' monthly adventures. There just wasn't any logical explanation that she could think of.

Hermione let out a low sigh and moved her hands away from her face, only to shriek loudly when she saw the face of a deer nearly inches from hers, visible even in the darkness. She tried to back away but cursed herself for forgetting that she was pressed up against a tree.

At her scream, the stag she'd seen earlier froze and turned its head frantically from side to side. It would have been rather comical if she hadn't been in any danger. Then, the stag promptly turned to the girl and pushed her to the right of the tree. Hermione couldn't see where she was going, but she was petrified with fear and allowed the stag to push her through the bushes and shrubs.

A howl echoed through the forest and Hermione narrowed her eyes, trying to determine where the howl came from. It sounded close, but the rebound of the noise confused her senses.

A twig slapped her across her face and she winced, then another hit her… then another… and another. The antlers of the creature behind her pressed firmly into her back, guiding her in some unknown direction. The area around her seemed to be getting lighter and lighter, though only to some extent as she advanced to what she figured was the exit of the forest. Hermione sighed with relief when she could make out the light filtering through the edge of the forest but the relief was short lived when a large form jumped out in font of her, lashing out.

She whimpered as she ducked down and felt twigs and thorns slice against her arms and legs. The stag jumped over her and she shut her eyes tightly and covered her head with her arms. Noises became even more muffled and distant and she figured that the animals had moved off. When she assumed it was safe to move, she looked up to see a clear path and she jumped up, hurrying out of the Forbidden Forest.

She dashed across the grounds once more, this time with a destination; Hogwarts Castle. The cool grass felt good on her feet and she suspected that they were bleeding from her trip in the forest. When she got towards the entrance of the castle, she couldn't catch her breath anymore and she flopped down on the ground in front of the main steps.

Breathing became painful and she struggled for air, lowing her head to the ground. The itching cold of the wind around her blew her brown hair about her face wildly, obscuring it from view. Her dress was rumpled and slightly dirty from her seemingly constant falling on the ground and the adventure in the forest. The girls legs were tucked under her and her dress was whipping around violently and she put her hands in her lap to keep it down.

Minutes passed slowly, seeming like hours. When she was able to inhale and exhale at a normal stature she pushed herself off the ground slowly, and looked up at the castle from what she could see at her position.

The night seemed so peaceful, so tranquil set in the stage of a cold October night. The castle loomed up into the sky in front of her and for some reason, it seemed different. Entirely different from how she knew it. The thought of that sent awkward chills up her spine, causing her to shiver more. Looking back at the Forbidden Forest one more time, she slipped quietly into the castle.

* * *

Hermione trudged through the darkened hallways of Hogwarts, winding her way through the corridors to the only place she could think of; the Hospital Wing. As she passed by the paintings hanging on the stone walls, she felt an odd sense of foreboding and she trembled reluctantly like she did when she was on the grounds outside. Something didn't seem right; of course things weren't right.

"Malfoy did something…" She said quietly and jumped at her own voice as it echoed along the passageway. "I'm going to give myself a heart attack. Come on Hermione, this is Hogwarts. You've known this place for years… there's no need to get all worked up…"

The girls eyes however, moved from side to side as if she knew something was going to jump out at her at any moment. The feeling of that was only brief, as she soon found herself outside of the doors to the hospital wing. Her breathing was now coming in ragged gasps.

Hermione opened the door quietly, then stepped inside. She took as deep of a breath as her body would allow her and she said loudly, "Madam Promfrey? Are you a-a-awake?" She choked out the last part as a series of coughs caught in her throat.

Her body wrenched forward a bit from the chain of coughs that racked through her body. Tonight was not her night. She groaned loudly and felt slightly nauseous as her head throbbed painfully after the coughs subsided. A door to her left opened with a bang and she heard someone gasp and then footsteps shuffled towards her.

"What happened to you?" Hermione looked up to see a rather sleepy, _younger_ looking Madam Promfrey.

"I-I--" Hermione had another series of coughs. After a bit, when she could breathe properly again, she continued lamely, looking up dumbfounded at the nurse. "I was hit with a spell."

"Alright, sit down." The older woman pushed Hermione to the nearest hospital bed and made her sit down then bustled off to one of her many medicine cabinets. She returned carrying two bottles of potion. "Take this, it'll help your cough."

Hermione took the bottle that the nurse offered her and opened it, drinking the contents. It wasn't too bad, it tasted strongly of honey and lemon, and also something that she figured was cinnamon. Then the older woman gave her another bottle which Hermione recognized as Pepper-up potion.

When a few moments passed and the constant feeling of coughing subsided, she looked up at Madam Promfrey.

"So, don't just sit there girl, what exactly happened to you?"

"I got hit by a spell." Hermione repeated.

"I know that already. But how did it happen? What spell was it?"

Hermione looked down at her hands and replied, "It was during the ball. Draco Malfoy decided to try and hex me and he chased me outside to the lake. I told him to stop but he wouldn't, and he was about to put a hex on me when an owl came out of nowhere and flew at him. He got the spell mixed up and everything, causing him to hit me with another spell of some sort and it knocked me out. I woke up just a while ago on the grounds by the lake… and…." Hermione didn't know how to explain what she'd seen and she was oblivious to the stare that Madam Promfrey was giving her.

"You were outside? Just now?" The woman asked forcefully.

"Yes."

"Was there-- I mean, did you see anything?" She asked quietly, staring piercingly at Hermione.

"You might think me crazy… but I saw a werewolf…." She replied softly, her face flushing.

When the other woman didn't say anything, Hermione looked up. She was shocked to see Madam Promfrey pale in the face and her lips were white and thin.

"Were you hurt by the werewolf?" She asked suddenly.

"N-No, I was just chased by it."

The older woman breathed in relief. "Good. Now… What did you say your name was?"

"I'm Hermione Granger… Don't you remember me?" The brown haired girl stared at Madam Promfrey unbelievably.

"Remember you? I've never seen you before, I don't think." The nurse replied tartly, clearly offended for some unknown reason.

"B-But, remember all the times I was in here with Harry and Ron? Like in our first year, after the whole ordeal with the philosophers stone? Or when I was petrified after the Chamber of Secrets was opened? Or in my third year when…." She trailed off, seeing the clueless look on the other woman's face.

"I don't know what you're talking about, dear. Maybe you should get some rest." Hermione watched as she was eyed with discomfort.

"No!" Hermione said loudly and stood up. "I don't know what's going on tonight, but I'm going to find out."

"Dear, I don't know what you're talking about!" Madam Promfrey exclaimed, clearly feeling harassed.

"What happened to the ball?" The younger girl demanded.

"What ball?"

"The Formal Halloween Ball that Professor Dumbledore had set up!" She huffed, frustrated. The other woman stared at her warily and Hermione felt even more confused. "It.. It was Halloween, wasn't it?"

"Of course it was, but there was no ball." She replied.

Hermione sat down on the bed again, staring open mouthed at the other occupant in the room. She was too confused now. "I need to see Professor Dumbledore…"

"_You_ need to rest." Madam Promfrey retorted.

"No, I need to see Professor Dumbledore." Hermione stood up again and rushed past the nurse, ignoring her cries of protest to come back.

Hermione ran out of the Hospital Wing and turned right, running down the long corridor before taking a left. She took a shortcut behind a statue of a famous witch that Harry had shown her once, then dashed out behind a tapestry before turning left again. It was easier for her to run now that she could breathe properly. Soon, the girl found herself standing outside of the stone gargoyle statue that led into Dumbledore's office.

"Lemon Drop." Hermione said firmly, but the statue didn't move. She could have sworn that was the password. Dumbledore always told the Prefects and the Heads of each House the password to his office whenever he changed it. She tried again; nothing happened. "Acid pop? Chocolate frogs? Fizzing Wizbees!"

She narrowed her eyes slightly when the gargoyle jumped aside. That hadn't been the password before. Deciding that she would question her professor later about it, she trudged up the stairway and up to the doors of his office. She knocked loudly two times, not even sure if Dumbledore would be awake at the moment. For a moment, she thought he was asleep because no one said anything from inside, but them a muffled, "Come in." came from the room.

Hermione pushed the doors opened and stepped into his office. A desk sat in the middle of a semi-large room, though it seemed small with all of the paper and objects that were piled up on the cabinets and on the floor. Next to the window behind Dumbledore's desk was a perch with a large, red phoenix that slept with its head tucked under its right wing. Professor Dumbledore was sitting at his desk in his infamous pose; head bent slightly downwards with his fingertips pressed together under his chin. He looked up at her from behind his half-moon spectacles when she entered.

"Erm… Professor Dumbledore…" Hermione began, not sure of how to begin.

"Sit down and explain why you're here at such a late hour, Miss….?" He paused, waiting for her to answer.

Hermione just stared at him disbelievingly. "Professor, it's me, Hermione.. Hermione Granger…"

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry to say.. I don't know who you are." He told her.

"But… what…." Hermione was speechless. She flopped down in an armchair in front of Dumbledore's desk and stared at him in doubt. "I don't know what's going on…"

"Miss Granger, please, kindly explain what has happened."

Hermione went into full explanation of what had happened during the ball with Draco, then how she woke up on the grounds and was chased by a werewolf. When she mentioned the werewolf part, Dumbledore hurriedly asked her if she had been hurt by it. She told him no, and he nodded, relief clearly visible on his aged face. After she told her story, the professor sat quietly behind his desk, staring at her in an amused way.

"Hermione, what year is it?" He asked out of the blue. Hermione answered him and she saw a small smile appear on his face and his eyes sparkled more so. "Miss Granger, I believe you have gone back in time twenty years."

"What!" Hermione cried, jumping out of her chair in shock. "What do you mean I've gone back in time twenty years?"

"I believe that when mister Malfoy hit you with his misshapen spell, it sent you back in time. That is my theory from what you have told me. I _did_ feel a slight alteration in time not too long ago and I suppose that was you arriving in this time, Miss Granger." He told her and the girl just nodded, not really understanding. "I know what you will be asking me soon though, and no, I do not know how to get you back to your own time. I will, however, look into it and try to find out a way to send you back."

"What will I do until then?" The girl asked numbly, everything just now sinking in. She would have thought it impossible to go back twenty years in time, but hey, anything could be possible with magic.

"You will continue attending school here." He told her simply. "If anyone asks, you are looking for a school to go to for your O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. and you'll just be visiting here for now. I am right though, that you are not above your sixth year?" Hermione told him what year she was in and he nodded then continued. "Though, under any circumstances, you are not allowed to tell anyone about you being from the, erm, future. There could be terrible consequences involved if you do so. I don't want you trying to stop things from happening, for good or for bad. Just try to keep things under the usual flow and try not to get involved with things that can be time altering."

Hermione nodded once more. She couldn't believe her luck. She'd be spending a while in a time era that she didn't know anything about with people she didn't know. _Wait… _She thought to herself. _I do know people here! Just… they're younger than I would remember them and they don't know me… So it was the marauders that I saw outside!_ She blinked and smiled slightly to herself. She hadn't been imagining things. A sudden thought came to her mind and she looked at Dumbledore.

"Professor, I happen to know that Remus Lupin was outside tonight… he's the one that attacked me after he transformed into his werewolf form. I have no intention of letting him or anyone else know that I know about his secret, but I was wondering… Even if you don't want me doing anything that will alter the future, would it be okay if I made a potion that I have knowledge and practice of that will help him during his transformations? I don't think that would hurt anything in this time era." She asked him.

"You mean, you know how to make a potion that will help Mr. Lupin during his transformations? How so?"

The girl smiled at the professor and replied, "It doesn't cure lycanthropy but it does prevent the extremely dangerous dementia which would otherwise accompany the transformation from human into werewolf. **_(The effects are pretty much copied from http/ meaning that I didn't come up with it. All credit goes to that site.) _**Or in other words, professor, when he transforms, he will keep his mind instead of being lost in the intelligence of a werewolf. He would simply be able to go into a room and curl up quietly to sleep. He'd be of no harm to anyone, including himself."

She watched as Professor Dumbledore stared at her, first without any signs of him acknowledging what she said, then he smiled. "If you would be kind enough to brew this potion for Mr. Lupin, I would supply you with all of the ingredients you need. You have no idea how happy the boy will be."

Hermione smiled at this, thinking of a younger professor Lupin and his reaction of the potion when he found out. "I'd be more than happy to do it, sir. Just, don't let him know that I'm the one making the potion because otherwise, he'll know that I know…. You know." She scrunched her nose up, trying to find the words for it but couldn't.

Professor Dumbledore just laughed lightly and said, "That's quite all right. I wont let him know that you know you know." He repeated what she said and Hermione's face became a shade pinker. "If you'd kindly write down what you need for the potion on this piece of parchment, I will get them for you." He pushed a piece of parchment towards her with a quill and some ink.

Hermione took her time to write down all the ingredients she needed and the tools she would need. Handing the paper back to Dumbledore, she watched as he scanned the paper. "This is a highly advanced potion, Miss Granger. Are you sure you can do it?"

Hermione just laughed and smiled boldly. "If you knew me like the future Professor Dumbledore, you'd know what I'm capable of."

She watched as he just smiled, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. "I'm quite sure I'd feel the same if I knew you more. Now, about living arrangements. What house were you in?"

"Gryffindor." Hermione replied proudly and the older man nodded.

"You will, of course, be familiar with the dormitories and other accommodations involving the Gryffindor Common room. You will not, however, be sleeping there tonight. I see that you have had quite a night so you will be spending the night in the hospital wing and when you are feeling better, I would like you to come back up to my office and speak with me about everything that will need to be done, such as getting your schedule for your classes fixed and we will arrange a trip for you to go to Hogsmeade to get robes and other supplies you will be needing." Professor Dumbledore stood up and flourished his wand towards Hermione. All the dirt and grime on her clothes and skin disappeared and she thanked him, noticing that she had been a mess before she came in. "Now, since it is two in the morning, I believe it is time for bed. I will see you in the morning. Goodnight Miss Granger."

"Goodnight Professor." Hermione replied and left the office.

She made her way through the corridors, retracing her steps back to the Hospital Wing. The lights inside of the room were on and she figured Madam Promfrey was still awake so she knocked then entered the room once more. The nurse fussed over her and had her change into a hospital gown then she made her lay down for the night. As the nurse went back to her own room, Hermione rolled over on her side and closed her eyes but sleep didn't claim her just yet.

As she lay there in the dark room she reopened her eyes and stared out of the window at the bright full moon. She let all the information she'd learned absorb into her mind. She was back in time twenty years and she would have to stay there for a while until Dumbledore found a way for her to go back. What would Ron and Harry think? Suddenly, Ron came fully into her mind and she felt herself blush at the memory of the dance. He had almost kissed her if it hadn't been for Malfoy. Sighing once more for that night, Hermione closed her eyes again and sleep tugged gently at her from the corners of the other realm of dreams and memories.

* * *

A noise, muffled and distant, echoed through Hermione's mind. The warmth of her blanket wrapped tightly around her kept her on the edges of sleep, but the noises in the room pulled her slowly into consciousness. Voices could be heard to her right and she dimly recognized Madam Promfrey's. Hermione opened her eyes a bit, her blurry vision imaging the people in the room into colorful blobs.

There were five people, including Madam Promfrey. They all looked like students, and as the girls vision became clearer, she saw with a slight jolt in her stomach, that they were the Marauders. They were speaking loudly and Hermione wanted to toss a pillow in their direction for waking her up, even if she didn't know them in this time. Irritation was still something that overcame her feelings. She heard what sounded like a younger version of Professor Lupin speaking.

"Is the girl okay?"

"She's quite fine. Just exhausted from the night." Madam Promfrey huffed.

"So, I didn't… I didn't…." Remus trailed off quietly.

"No, you didn't. She's perfectly fine as I said before."

"Who is she?" Said an unfamiliar voice.

"That is none of your business, Mr. Potter." The older woman told him sternly.

"But it _is _our business." Another voice piped up and Hermione saw that it came from a boy who was facing her. He had blondish hair and he was short and somewhat overweight. She recognized him as the younger version of Peter Pettigrew.

"Mr. Pettigrew, I will not have any of this. If you keep it up, I'll make you guys leave."

"Come on, Poppy. You couldn't do that to us." Hermione watched as a boy with long, shaggy black hair spoke with a lopsided grin.

Madam Promfrey shook her head at him and waggled a finger at him. "Mr. Black, I'll have you know, I could do that to you. Now, Mr. Lupin, if you would, please go to that bed over there. I'll be back in a bit." The woman then bustled out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Hermione watched as she pointed to the bed next to Hermione and they all shuffled over to it. Hermione was about to feign sleep when the younger version of Remus stopped in front of her bed as he realized she was awake. The others stopped to turn to their friend and saw what he was looking at, and then Hermione had four pairs of eyes on her.

The girl blushed and struggled to sit up, wincing slightly from the pain in her upper body and acknowledged them quietly. "Hello."

"Good morning, fair maiden!" Sirius exclaimed loudly.

Hermione took notice of his profile. He was tall, about the same height as Harry had been. His dark, shaggy hair hung in his eyes and around his face, grey eyes sparkling in the dim light of the room from behind the curtain of raven hair. He had the air of a child around him and he smiled broadly and easily. He looked nothing like he had during her third year all the way until his death. His face wasn't sunken in and his eyes held a mysterious sparkle in them and Hermione suspected it was mischief.

Beside Sirius was the split image of Harry with a few alterations and no doubt, that was James Potter. He was slightly taller than Harry had been, being the same height as Sirius. He had dark, mocha colored eyes and his face held the same image of mischief as his friends'. His unruly raven hair hung messily around his face and his glasses had slipped to the end of his nose.

Standing slightly behind James was Peter. The shortest boy of the group seemed unsure of himself, fiddling with his thumbs and staring shyly at Hermione. His blue eyes watched her in an insecure way that made the girl want to comfort him and reassure him about things.

She then turned to look at Remus' appearance. He looked like he had when he was older though there weren't as many scars lining his face. He still looked pale, his russet hair falling into his eyes like Sirius' though his wasn't as long. His blue eyes glinted like the other boys, except that his held knowledge and trust, along the lines of something else that Hermione couldn't figure out. He was shorter than James and Sirius, though taller than Peter.

"Sirius, why do you always do that?" James groaned at his friend.

"Do what?" The other boy grinned cheekily at him.

James shoved his friend playfully and winked at Hermione who blushed again. He walked to the side of her bed and extended a hand out to her. "I'm James Potter."

"Hermione Granger." The girl replied, taking his hand and shaking it slightly.

"This is Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin." James told her, pointing idly to each in turn. Hermione only nodded, already knowing who they were. "Nice to meet you. We haven't seen you around before. What house are you in?"

Hermione hesitated, then said, "I'm in Gryffindor."

"Gryffindor?" Peter piped up, eyeing her curiously. "Why haven't we seen you before?"

"I'm new here." She said carefully. "I'm checking out schools because I'm trying to find a nice place to take my O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S.."

"Oh. Well, you'll like it here." Sirius told her loudly. "With the Marauders here, I don't think you'd be able to leave!"

Hermione mumbled under her breath, "You're so full of yourself."

"What was that?" The dark haired boy asked, leaning closer to her. Hermione noticed that Remus was grinning now, no doubt he'd heard her with his werewolf hearing.

Hermione grinned at him and asked, "So, Remus was it? I don't think you'd be able to show me where the library is later?"

The other boys around them groaned but Remus' face lit up. "You mean you like the library?"

"Of course. It's the best place to go when you want to get away from obnoxious boys." She told him, wrinkling her nose and jerking her head in James and Sirius' direction.

"Hey! Obnoxious isn't the word for it! It's just because you loath guys like us because of our awesomely good looks." Sirius countered, doing a little hair flip with his right hand.

"As I said… Obnoxious." She rolled her eyes, only to get an evil cackle from the boy.

"I'll show you obnoxious!" He shouted and bent his legs and outstretched his arms. Hermione highly suspected he was about to jump on her bed but she acted first and threw her fluffy white pillow head long against his face with a loud _fwump_!

She watched his arms flail about wildly for a moment after the pillow slid off of his face and landed on the floor. "That was _foul_!"

"No, you are. Refrain from jumping onto my bed and I wont do that again." She retorted dryly.

Sirius' face lit up in mock horror and he slapped both of his palms against his face. "I wasn't going to do that!"

"Yes you were." Remus eyed him warily.

"No I wasn't!" He looked over at James and whispered loudly, "I don't like it when he reads my mind."

"I didn't read your mind, Padfoot. I've just known you long enough to understand your actions." The russet haired boy replied.

"Oh yeah? Then what am I about to do?"

"You're about to get a foot in your face, that's what." James laughed, watching the other boy.

"Humph. Shows what you know." Sirius then did a little frolicking dance around his friends and Hermione's bed.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she watched the boy leap across the tiled floor with his hands wiggling behind him like propellers. She was familiar with this type of behavior from Harry and Ron, so it wasn't anything new to her. At the thought of Ron and Harry, she frowned. She wasn't sure how long it would be before she saw them again…

"What's wrong, Doll?" Sirius plopped down on the end of her bed and faced her.

"Nothing worth talking about." Hermione shrugged. "I need to go see the Headmaster, so if you guys don't mind, I need to erm… get dressed."

She pushed Sirius off of her bed and shut the curtains before hurrying out of the hospital gown she'd worn during her sleep. She looked down and grimaced at the large purple bruise that had extended over her stomach and then she gasped in shock when she saw a red zigzagging pattern along her abdomen. The lines curved and crisscrossed in a unique pattern. She shuddered slightly and decided to ask Dumbledore about it, then slipped on the dress she wore the day before. She didn't have her shoes with her and cursed herself for that. "Hey, can I borrow one of you guys' wands?" She asked, poking her head out of the curtains.

Remus handed her his wand and she used it to say a simple spell that untangled her hair and brushed it for her, then she flourished the wand, making her high heels appear. They were dirty from her running around outside so she used _scourgify_ to cleanse them of the filth. She then handed the wand back to Remus and pulled the curtain back. "Thanks Remus. I don't have any of my stuff with me at the moment, including my wand." She told them, and inwardly began to worry. If she didn't have her wand, how was she going to use magic?

When no one said anything, she turned to look at them, only to see them staring at her open mouthed. "What?" She huffed.

"W-why are you dressed like that?" James inquired.

"Because, this is what I was wearing yesterday when I came here. I was at a formal party before that, so I had to come here like this." She lied. "I don't have anything with me at the moment, so I had to wear it again."

"Oh." Came out of all their mouths.

"Would you like us to show you where Dumbledore's office is?" Sirius asked, not taking his eyes off of her.

"No thanks, I know the way. I had to speak with him last night."

"You sure? Just to keep you company?" James questioned.

"I'm sure Remus wont want to be alone in here." She frowned at him. "You should stay here to keep him company." Then she walked over to the door and left the room, insensible to the looks the boys were giving to her. Before she shut the door, she heard Peter ask, "How'd she know Remus was the reason why we were here?"

* * *

Hermione walked down the halls, feeling slightly nervous. She passed a few students on their way to breakfast and they all gave her weird looks that made her bow her head so that her hair covered her face. She was out of place, not wearing any robes. Then she remembered, she _was_ out of place. She didn't belong in this time. Inwardly moaning, she came up to the gargoyle statue and said the password.

She walked up the staircase once more and knocked three times. Dumbledore opened the door and motioned for her to come in.

"Good morning. You're here earlier than I thought. Did you sleep well?" He gestured towards a chair so that she could sit down.

"I did, sir. I was awoken though, by the infamous Marauders." She grinned.

"Ah, what a lovely way to wake up." His eyes twinkled as he situated himself in his own chair on the other side of his desk.

"It is." She concurred. "Now, professor, about staying here. I don't have my wand with me…"

He nodded. "I figured as much, from what you told me last night but I have come to a solution. Since you are from a future time, your wand has not yet been bought. I will have one of the professors here take you to Diagon alley after your trip to Hogsmeade so that you will be able to get your wand."

The girl sighed gratefully and nodded. She hadn't thought that her wand would still be there at Olivander's. "So when will I be going to get the stuff? How will I get the stuff, by the way? I have no money with me."

"The money will be no problem. We will use Hogwarts emergency fund to get you everything you need." He held up a hand to stop her from arguing. "Miss Granger, we consider this an emergency. We have to make sure no one finds out you are from the future. Even in this time, there are dangers to take to mind. If the news gets out to anyone of the wrong kind, there will be problems."

"Yes… but, I don't want to be a hassle."

"Nonsense. You're not a hassle, and I'm always willing to help my students in need." After he said that, there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Hermione turned in her chair to see a younger Professor McGonagall enter the room. Professor McGonagall nodded to her and smiled slightly. "I assume she's ready to leave?"

"I am, professor." Hermione told her and stood up.

"Goodbye Miss Granger. Don't be afraid of spending too much. Get everything that you need, and also buy yourself something nice." The older man smiled. "Professor McGonagall will speak with you about your classes."

"Goodbye Professor." Hermione said, being led out of the office by the other woman.

* * *

Back in the hospital wing, Remus was sitting on a hospital bed after taking some potions that Madam Promfrey gave him. His friends were sitting around him, and they were talking about the 'new girl.'

"What do you think of her?" James asked the other boys.

"She's interesting." Sirius said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"I'm just glad there's someone around here that likes the library." Remus huffed loudly, shooting the others a sour look.

"Oh, come on Remus. You know we all have reasons why we don't go in that horrid place." James said, waving a hand in the air over his head as he tried to get a point across. "I don't go in there because of that hideous accident with the books falling on me--"

"That _hideous _accident only happened because you and Sirius were waltzing around the bookshelves while singing a Christmas song in_ April_." Remus supplied.

"Hey! I didn't ask them to fall on me, Mr. Book Worthy." James pointed a finger at Remus.

"Yeah, Moony, no one asked those books to leap out at us, all spines and pages!" Sirius exclaimed in a horrified voice, causing Remus to roll his eyes.

"Honestly, you guys can be so imprudent."

"Did you just call me a prune!" Sirius eyed his friend carefully.

"Yes James, and a rather attractive prune you make." James teased, earning himself a fist in his shoulder that caused him to fall backwards off of the hospital bed and onto the floor with a loud _thump_!

James mumbled something incoherently in his odd position with his legs sticking up over the side of the bed and his arms splayed out above his head. "What was that, Prongsie?" Sirius laughed.

"I hate you." He mumbled from the floor.

"I love you too, mate!"

"You guys…." Remus groaned and flopped over onto his bed, his head landing on the white pillows at the headboard.

"What?" Sirius asked innocently while James made no movement to get up.

"I don't know any of you." The werewolf said airily.

"Oh, come off of it, Mr. Prefect. You know you just absolutely _adore _us!" James called from his position on the floor.

"Yes, I adore you guys as much as I adore broccoli." He wrinkled his nose.

"Broccoli is good for you! With their green-ness and tree-like forms." James called out, waving his arms around wildly again. "Though, I'd have to say lettuce is better."

"And you'd say that, Prongs." Peter said after being silent for a long time.

"Yes! You guys are missing out on good stuff there."

"I bet we are." Remus retorted.

"So… What's up for today? It's a Saturday and Saturday's call for pranks!" Sirius cheered loudly and was shortly joined by James' shouts and Peters constant "Yeah, Yeah's."

"Whatever you guys plan, leave me out of it today. I don't think I'm up to it." The prefect mumbled as he turned on his side and buried his face into his pillow.

"Aw, does ickle Prefect not wanna' help his friendsy wiendies with their pranky wankies?" Sirius teased his friend.

"Stuff it, dog face." Remus muttered and shoved a spare pillow at his friends face.

"What is it with pillows today!" He shrieked loudly.

"You know, you sound like a girl." James said as he pulled himself up off of the floor like a sloth, all slow and mammal like.

"Do not!" Sirius cried indignantly.

"Do too."

"Do not!"

"Do too." Peter conveyed, smiling.

"Aw, come on guys. You don't mean it."

"Yes we do." They both chorused in unison.

Sirius put his hands in the air in mock defeat. "Fine, you guys win this time. But I'll have you know…" He trailed off.

"You'll have us know what? You scream like a girl?"

"Exactly." Sirius replied seriously to James.

"Thought as much." Remus said. "I'm going to bed guys. Go ahead and go to breakfast. I'll catch up with you guys probably around lunch."

"Right-o Moony." Sirius said and saluted him. "Farewell, sailor."

"Sailor?" Remus eyed him suspiciously.

"Aye, matey." James put in and Remus just buried his face in the pillow again.

"Off the breakfast!" James shouted.

"To Breakfast!" Sirius joined in.

"To another day of fun…" Remus mumbled.

"Indeed!" The other boys chorused.

The remaining three boys trudged out of the hospital wing and out into the hall. "Last one to the Great Hall has to kiss Filch!" James cried and all three boys took off running down the corridors and to breakfast.

* * *

I'd like to get a poll going, just for the fun of it all.

**Who thinks Hermione should become friends with Severus Snape?**

I'm wanting to know if she should, or shouldn't, with your oppinion! He will most likely be appearing in the next chapter or the chapter after that. - Min


	3. Chapter 3

**As the routine goes: I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling.**

A/N: I made a few mistakes on my last chapter that I'd like to fix. I'll probably re-place the document with a new one without the mistakes, but just for those who already read it: When Dumbledore and Hermione explain 'why' she's there, I put because of her O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S., but last night, I realized that she took her O.W.L.S. at the end of fifth year, sooooo… scratch that part, mmkay? The other mistakes are just typo worthy or I got a name mixed up, so, if anyone sees any other **major** mistakes, could you tell me? Also! Thank you guys for the reviews! Every time I get one, I feel encouraged to write more and earlier than I planned. This chapter is slightly iffy. I'm not feeling too well and I've been in a bad mood today, so if it seems a bit off, that's my own fault. I'm sorry about that, if it is! And another thing, if I don't update tomorrow, I wont have another chapter posted until next Monday or Tuesday. Alright, on with the story! - Min

**Poll: **So far, the poll of, "Should Hermione become friends with Severus Snape" stands as:

_Yes:_ 2

_No: _0

_Yes and No: _1

Thank you **the-kaiba-heir, darkforces,** and **wally4ever** for your opinions! So, so far, they are going to become friends.

* * *

Hermione was just walking back up to the castle around noon, burdened with her packages containing new robes, clothes, personal items, books, and other things she would need for her stay. She was thrilled to have her wand again, even if it was just bought. She had spoken to Professor McGonagall about her classes and the older woman had told her that she would have her schedule ready by Monday.

Hermione was eager to start her classes. She wanted to know how advanced they were in this time era. Of course, they wouldn't be teaching such complex magic like they did in her time because there wasn't such a huge threat on the community by dark wizards. Then, Hermione realized with a start, that she wouldn't have to worry about helping Harry save the world from Voldemort like she had all those previous years.

But then, thinking about Harry and Ron going up against the Dark Lord by themselves made her feel like a betrayer, and she felt horrible. What would she do if something bad happened to them? Even if she wasn't the strength of the trio, she was the one that had kept her friends from doing rash things. She gave herself credit for that.

While Professor McGonagall walked with her to the Gryffindor tower, she spoke to the professor about her classes and what this time was like. She found, to her disappointment that the sixth years here were learning most of what she did in the middle of her fifth year.

From what McGonagall told her, Hermione's time change was known to a majority of the professors in the school. Professor Dumbledore had thought it would be better for the other teachers to know in case something drastic happened and also so they wouldn't be so impulsive against her.

When her and McGonagall reached the portrait of the fat lady, Hermione was told the password; Courage United. They walked through the portrait and entered the common room.

It was just like it was in Hermione's time, except there were people that she didn't recognize in it. When they stepped into the room, everyone turned to see who it was. When they saw that it was 'the new girl,' everyone got quiet.

"This is the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione." Professor McGonagall said loudly, covering up for the silence. "Your dormitory is over there, up the girls staircase. You'll find your room by looking at the names on the doors. If you need anything, please ask one of the Prefects, Mr. Lupin, or Miss Evans. I will see you in classes on Monday, Miss Granger."

The older woman nodded to her and left the common room, leaving Hermione standing in the spotlight. Hermione looked around nervously, all eyes on her, then she made her way to the girls dormitories. She climbed up staircase to the sixth year landing, then walked slowly down the hall. The girl checked each of the golden plaques on the doors, looking for her name. On one of the rooms farther down the hall, she saw her name etched into the golden plate, along with three other names; Lily Evans, Alice Rowan, and Erica Goodman. **_(A/N: Alice Rowan is Neville's mother. I didn't know her maiden name, so I just made one up and Erica Goodman is a character of my own. 0.o;)_** Hermione opened the door quietly and slipped inside.

When she stepped in, she acknowledged that it looked almost like the dormitory that she had, except for the hangings and beds looked newer and less used, there were posters of people she didn't know hanging up on the walls, and the carpet was fluffier, showing less signs of being trod on. Inside of the room, she noticed that there were two girls, who had been chatting happily to each other before she came in, and now they were looking at her.

"Hello." Said a redhead who was sitting on a bed facing the door.

"Hi." Hermione replied nervously.

"You're Hermione Granger?" The redhead asked her, tilting her head to the side while eyeing the girl who just entered the room.

"Yes. I am." She said, then she noticed the girls eyes. They were bright green orbs, exactly the same shape and color as Harry's. "You're.. Lily Evans?"

"Yes, I am." The other girl smiled at her. "This is Alice Rowan."

The other woman had light colored hair and dark brown eyes, a gentle, carefree look on her face. She smiled and waved at Hermione with a quiet 'Hello.' and then turned back to Lily.

Lily and the other continued talking, and Hermione walked over to the spare bed that she figured was hers. She placed all of her newly bought things on her bed and organized her stuff, hanging her robes on the few hooks lining the wall by her bed and then she placed her books and other stuff in the trunk that had been at the end of her bed. Hermione sat down on her mattress with its fluffy golden comforters and sheets and took off her painful high heels that she'd been having to wear all day and then closed the curtains around her bed.

She pulled out a new pair of clothes that she had bought; a light blue sweater with a black skirt that went down to just above her knees. She pulled off the lavender dress and examined the pattern on her stomach again.

The bruise was a darker shade of purple than it had been that morning, and the marks on her stomach had turned a dark red color. She mumbled to herself about having to go get that checked out later as she changed clothing. She was just pulling on her sweater when someone called her name. Hermione stuck her head out to see Lily and Alice standing now, facing her.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go to lunch with us?" The redhead asked.

"You don't mind?" Hermione questioned, surprised by the offer.

"Of course we don't." She smiled. "You dressed?"

"Yeah, hold on though. I need to put on my shoes." Hermione told her and slipped on her knee high socks then her shoes and threw a cloak over her shoulders.

She walked out from behind the curtain and followed Alice and Lily out of the dorm and down the staircase again. The room was emptier than it had been when Hermione had entered with Professor McGonagall.

"So, how do you like it so far?" Alice asked Hermione cheerfully.

"It's wonderful so far. The grounds are so beautiful. I think I might take a walk around the lake later, after a trip to the library." Hermione told her in an equally cheerful voice.

"Oh, you like to read?" Lily asked.

"Yes. I spend most of my time reading and studying. Most of my friends from home called me a book worm." Hermione replied, wrinkling her nose. "Not to mention my 'enemies' called me a insufferable know-it-all."

"How mean." Alice cried. "I don't see how people can be so rude."

"I agree." Lily huffed. "Like Potter and his friends. They always go after poor Severus. I don't know what that boy does to them to make them so mad."

Hermione's eyes widened at the thought of her potions professor attending school with her and being her age. It just didn't seem natural. Curiosity got to her and she asked, "What do James and his friends do to him?"

The redhead made a face, then told her, "It's mostly just James and Sirius that do things. Remus is too nice and he's a Prefect. Peter just sits there and watches them in awe, but what they do is they play awful pranks on the poor bloke. Just because he's a Slytherin, that doesn't mean they have to be _that_ horrible to him."

"What kind of pranks?" Hermione questioned. The fact of hearing that her potions teacher had been teased and pranked when he was a teenager caught her attention. Was that why Professor Snape had hated Harry so much? Because of his father?

"They just do awful things to him. Hang him upside down for the whole school to see his knickers, hex him into the lake, jinx him in the halls, those kinds of things." Alice put in, nodding slightly.

"Oh." Hermione said. She felt slightly bad for her professor. She hadn't known things had been like that for him when he was a teenager.

Hermione was lost in her thoughts as the other two girls chatted to each other about the differences between full grown unicorns and baby unicorns when they entered the Great Hall. It was full of laughter and talking, and Hermione followed the two girls over to the Gryffindor table.

They sat down near the end of the table, Alice and Lily sitting across from Hermione. The redhead was still talking to her friend about the appearance of an adult unicorn, so Hermione listened while she picked up a biscuit and nibbled on it. She wasn't exactly hungry at the moment, though she usually never was. She'd always skip meals to go to the library and study or just read.

"Adult unicorns aren't exactly keen with men, and they aren't as trustworthy as the babies." Lily was ranting on.

"Do you think that Professor Grubblyplank will ever show us unicorns in person?" Alice asked more to herself than to anyone.

"She will." Hermione cut in.

"How do you know?"

Hermione was silent for a moment. She couldn't tell them that in _her_ time, the professor had shown her and her class unicorns, so she just replied, "It's a type of ritual for all Care of Magical Creatures professors. I've already seen them, though, from where I came from, so I'm sure she'll be showing your classes sometime soon."

"Oh! You've already seen them? In person?" Lily was in awe. "What are they like?"

"Just like you explained them." Hermione told her dryly. She wasn't a big fan of unicorns, and in her class, all the girls just sat there 'ohing' and 'ahing' and Hermione had too much on her mind with Hagrid's disappearance.

Lunch moved on with Lily and Alice asking her questions about where she came from and what it was like, so Hermione told them she was originally from Beuxbaton (Ha ha, how original…). She waved off her accent by saying her parents moved to London shortly after she was supposed to go to go school, so she spent her summers and holidays in London.

Near the end of Lunch, Lily asked Hermione if she wanted to go take a walk to the lake since 'it's such a lovely day outside' and Hermione took the offer. They took their time as they left through the double doors and onto the grounds.

When they stepped outside, a cool, gentle breeze greeted them. The sky was overcast and the sun peeked out every so often, leaving weak rays of warmth falling over the dying grass of Hogwarts. The trees were colors of fire, the leaves dying and falling in piles at the base of each tree. The lake was a steely gray, small ripples forming along the shallow ends of the water as leaves landed with grace into the waters.

"So, what class is your favorite?" Hermione directed towards the girls as they slowly made their way to the back of the lake.

"Mine would be Defense Against the Dark Arts." Alice replied in a singsong voice.

"Charms here." Lily nodded. "What about yours?"

"I'm not too good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I do know a lot about it and even a few more advanced spells," Hermione trailed off, then continued, "But charms is one of my favorites, along with Arithmacy and Ancient Runes."

"Good classes." Lily smiled. "I take those classes too but I'm best at Charms."

Hermione smiled back. "I'm not really _good_ at anything. I just read a lot. Everything I know is practically from books. Text material."

"Don't say that. You have talent. I can't remember a lot of stuff from books, so if you can memorize loads of things from textbooks then I'd say you _are_ good at something." Alice piped up, looking at Hermione with gentle eyes.

Hermione couldn't help but smile broader. No one from her time had told her something like that. "Thanks."

"No thanks needed, Hermione. It's just the truth, you know?"

The three girls walked to the lake, Hermione being more talkative now that the other girls seemed to be excepting her. She never had many girl friends, besides Ginny, and it felt sort of… nice, having other girls to talk to. Though, Hermione still preferred the company of guys. She wasn't a girly girl who wore tons of makeup and spent hours fixing her hair. She was more of a boys girl, one that didn't spend all her time messing with how she looked. A tomboy of sorts, Ron had once called her. She grinned at that thought.

"What are you smiling about?" Alice wondered, sitting down at the edge of the lake with Lily plopping down next to her.

"Just something I remember one of my friends telling me back home." Hermione shrugged, flopping down on the springy, dying grass next to the redhead.

It was silent for a while, then Lily inquired, "What were your friends like?"

The brown haired girl smiled, looking up into the sky. "They were wonderful. I hung around guys mostly, because the girls were just… horrible." She wrinkled her nose for a moment before continuing. "I had one really good friend that was a girl, her name's Ginny. She sort of reminds me of you, Lily, though I haven't known you very long."

"Oh."

"Yeah. My other two best friends' names were Harry and Ron. Ron was Ginny's older brother. We went through a lot together…" The girl trailed off again, getting lost in her own thoughts.

"Do you have any pictures of your friends?" Alice asked, leaning back so that she could look at Hermione from the other side of Lily. Hermione stared at her, and nodded slightly. "Show us then!"

Hermione hesitated for a moment, then she unclasped the locket from around her neck. She opened it and handed it to Lily, who looked expectantly at her. "The girl is Ginny, and her brother is the one in the other side with matching hair. Harry's the dark haired boy standing with Ginny." She pointed to them.

"Harry looks just like James!" Lily exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, I realized that…." Hermione mumbled.

"Wow. Messy hair and all. Isn't he cute Lily?" Alice asked her friend.

"I suppose he is." She smiled.

"Ah hah, so you would also think that James is cute too!" Alice cried triumphantly.

"What? No!" The redhead cried, shaking her head while her face turned a red to match her hair.

"What's that on his forehead?" Alice asked, ignoring her friend while squinting at the picture.

The other girl squirmed a bit. She didn't want to keep lying so she simply replied, "It's a scar he got when he was a baby."

"He still has it?" Alice asked her.

"Yeah. It was from a spell." Hermione took the locket back and put it back around her neck before looking out into the lake. "There's always those bad wizards in the world…"

The other two girls nodded in agreement, obviously taking her sudden mood change as a cue to drop it. Hermione was grateful that these girls knew not to drag subjects on. Hermione was thinking about the night that she had went with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna to the Department of Mysteries. She had encountered loads of dark wizards there, or, Death Eaters. It was because of them that Harry suffered so much loss and Hermione felt some of it too. She hadn't known Sirius like he had, but his death was hard on everyone.

Hermione blinked rapidly a few times before turning her head to the side to listen to something on the grounds behind them; the noise caught her attention. She could hear voices drifting through the air, and they sounded all too familiar. She turned to see the Marauders standing in as a blockade in front of a student who had obviously been trying to go back up to the castle. Hermione stood up, Lily and Alice following suit.

"Oh, not this again." Lily groaned.

"What are they doing?" Hermione questioned as they began moving towards the Marauders.

"They're messing with Snape again." Alice rolled her eyes. "Honestly, those boys."

Hermione stared at the other figure standing alone in front of the Marauders, and noted with slight shock that it _was_ a younger version of Snape. His hair hung down to his shoulders in a greasy curtain, hiding most of his face. He was clutching his wand in his right hand, pointing it at James' chest. Remus was standing farther back then the rest, and Hermione distinctively heard him telling James to drop it.

"James Potter, what _are_ you doing?" Lily shouted, strutting forward ahead of Alice and Hermione. "How many times do I have to tell you to leave him alone!"

"Ah, Lils. You'll have to tell me more times than what you already have. Besides, this greasy git needs to learn some manners." He eyed the younger version of Snape with distaste then looked brightly back at Lily. "Will you go out with me?"

"No, now leave him alone, James." Lily told him, slight anger edging her words.

Hermione looked at the younger version of Snape again. He looked hesitant, determined, and scared at the same time. She'd never seen her potions professor scared before; it was slightly disturbing in a sense. He was standing still, his back slightly bent as he eyed James' wand, his eyes flicking over to Sirius who also had his wand drawn.

Lily and James were arguing, Lily winning for the most part. Hermione found it amusing, knowing that James wouldn't ever let anyone win an argument against him unless it was Sirius but this was Lily, his long time crush.

Peter stood beside Sirius, looking at awe as the other two boys, his fingers fidgeting against the hem of his robes. Remus had long since walked away, finding a nice place to sit under a tree with a book he had opened and was reading.

"James, Sirius, put your wands down, NOW!" Lily shouted at them.

"Sorry, Flower. I wouldn't do it even if McGonagall told me to. This git has it coming to him." Sirius flourished his wand slightly, glancing over at Lily.

"For what?" The redhead demanded, her hands now placed on her hips as she glared at Sirius. "The same reason you used the last one hundred times?"

"Exactly." Sirius shrugged and waved his wand at Snape, mumbling an incantation.

Hermione was beside herself, confused if she should help or not. She never liked Snape as a professor, but she didn't want to watch him getting tortured by the Marauders as a teenager. Before Sirius had even said the incantation, Hermione had whipped out her wand in a flash, pointed it at Snape and shouted, "_protego!"_ She watched as Sirius' spell rebounded off of the shield and back at him, causing an amusing scene as he was lifted up into the air by his ankle.

James was startled at first as his best friend flipped upwards into the air, then he burst out laughing while he pointed at his friend who hung upside down, cursing loudly as his robes fell over his head. Lily looked at him in shock, then turned to see Hermione holding her wand out and smiled at her.

"Nice one, 'Mione." She laughed while Alice began to giggle.

"It's not right for them to be doing that to Severus." She mumbled more to herself than to anyone, feeling slightly odd after what she'd done. _You just helped your future potions professor that you despise!_ Hermione told herself. _Of course you're going to feel odd!_

"Get me down from here!" Sirius shouted.

"Hold on, Mate." James laughed, then said the counter jinx on James so that he landed with a loud _thump!_ on the ground.

"Who the hell did that?" The dark haired boy asked angrily as he rubbed the back of his head as he laid sprawled out on the ground, his hair and robes a tangled mess.

Hermione slipped her wand into her robes again and glared at Sirius. "That was a nasty thing to do, Sirius."

"What! It was you!" He shouted accusingly at her.

"Yes, it was. I wont have you doing that stuff while I'm around. It's cruel, and just because he's a Slytherin, that doesn't mean you have to do that kind of stuff to him." She huffed.

Sirius just glared at her and James laughed harder. Remus had came back over to them, wanting to find out what was going on and Peter filled him in on everything. Hermione caught the grin that Remus flashed at her, and she smiled to herself.

"That was great, Hermione." James was holding onto his gut now, obviously finding it funnier than the others. "What did you do? What spell was that?"

"It's called Protego. It's a shield charm." Hermione said simply as she looked around only to see that Severus had escaped. She figured he went back to the castle. "Sirius, James, if I see you two messing with Severus again, I'll do worse than that."

"What!" James yelped loudly, taking a step away from her, only to succeed in bumping into Sirius' legs. He fell backwards against the other boys legs, causing him to wince in pain as he landed heavily on him.

"Geroff me, Prongs!" Sirius whacked at the other boy as he rolled off of his legs.

"Sorry, Padfoot." James mumbled as he rolled to a stop at Lily's feet. "C'mon, Lils. Date me? Please?"

Lily blushed slightly, looking down at James with what she thought was a look of distaste. Hermione rolled her eyes. James was so determined to get Lily to date him but Lily was too stubborn to accept it. "You two love birds need to quit batting eyes at each other and just kiss already."

Lily looked at her in shock, her face turning a bright red. "W-What?"

"That was a joke, Lily." Hermione said slyly.

"Oh…" The redhead looked away. "I'm going back up to the common room to finish my transfiguration essay. You coming Alice? Hermione?"

"No, I'm going to head to the library." Hermione told her.

"Oh, alright. Coming, Alice?" Lily asked the light haired girl who nodded. "We'll catch you later, 'Mione."

"Right. Later." Hermione nodded, then turned her attention back to the guys, who were all standing up now.

"That was a brilliant shield charm you used, Hermione." James said, still not over what she'd done to Sirius.

"Yeah…" Hermione had to roll her eyes for the millionth time that day. "You should have seen Sirius' face."

"Hey! You weren't supposed to defend that bloke!" Sirius cried indignantly.

"_You_ weren't supposed to be hexing him in the first place." The girl narrowed her eyes at the boy.

James shoved his friend lightly and said, "She's not going to let us get away with torturing Snivellus. Just drop it for now, Padfoot." His friend looked incredulously at him but shrugged anyways.

"Anyway, I want to head to the library--"

"I'll show you the way." Remus interrupted Hermione, who smiled.

"Alright."

"I'll catch up with you guys later." Remus waved to his friends and began walking back to the castle. Hermione waved at the others, sticking her tongue out at James and Sirius who looked at her and Remus as if they'd just turned into blast-ended skrewts; with disgust.

"Watch out for the books! I tell you, they'll attack you!" Sirius shouted loudly after them.

"Yeah yeah, I don't think we're going to be waltzing around, Padfoot." Remus said loudly over his shoulder.

Hermione laughed lightly, looking sideways at the younger Remus Lupin. He seemed so carefree compared to his older self. Of course, losing two of your best friends, having another one of your friends turn into a traitor, and having to deal with being a werewolf would leave him scarred.

Remus looked at her and noticed she was staring at him. His faced turned a shade pinker and he smiled nervously at her. "So… what are you planning on doing at the library?"

"Oh, I don't know." Hermione told him. "I might just go there to get a few books to read. I want to see what kind of books they have in this ti- I mean, in this school."

"You'll like it, I guarantee." The russet haired boy told her. "I go there to get away from the others. They hate it there. They'll only go in there to drag me out if I've stayed there all day."

Hermione laughed. "I always had to drag my friends in there." Hermione remembered all the times she had to get Ron and Harry into the library just to study or do essays and homework.

"I wouldn't try dragging James or Sirius in there." Remus laughed. "They'd scream like girls and Irma would make us leave." Hermione smiled, trying to imagine Remus dragging his friends into the library.

The rest of the way to the library was peaceful as Hermione and Remus spoke about their classes and books that they enjoyed reading. He told her that his favorite subject was Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Hermione smiled knowingly to herself.

"What do you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?" Hermione asked him suddenly.

"This might sound stupid, but I really want to become a DADA professor." He blushed looking away.

"You know…" Hermione grinned and turned around so that she was walking backwards but also facing him. "I have a feeling you'll be a DADA professor, and a great one you'll make."

"You really think so?" Remus asked her, hope etched into his face.

"I don't think so, I know so." She turned around again, obvious to the grin plastered on the boys face.

They entered the library together after a while and Remus pointed out the sections of the library to her. Hermione already knew where everything was of course, so she just nodded and smiled.

"I can go to the restricted section also." He told her, a mischievous smile forming along the edges of his lips.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"I'm on good terms with Irma." He told her. "Come on, I'll show you."

Hermione followed him, weaving her way through the many circular tables. Remus nodded to Madam Pince as he headed towards to restricted area, and Hermione smiled at her to be nice. Madam Pince hadn't really changed over the years, looking almost the same as she had in her time.

As she walked through the rows of books, she ran her fingers along the spines of the books. She'd never been _allowed_ in the restricted section, but she had read a few choice books from it. As she walked down the third aisle, she saw a familiar book and picked it up.

_Moste Potente Potions._ Hermione smiled to herself and opened it up to the page that would show her how to make the Polyjuice Potions. When she found the page, she read it, memories of her second year coming back to her. She remembered how she had gotten the wrong hair from the person she'd chosen and turned into a half cat half human hybrid. Hermione didn't realize she had a smile on her face until Remus pointed it out.

"What are you smiling about?" He asked coming up behind her to look at was she was reading. "The polyjuice potion? That's highly advanced…"

"Yes, I know, but it brings back memories thinking about it." She told him.

"You mean you've made that before?" He questioned her in a exasperated voice.

She grinned broadly and nodded. "In my second year, with my friends Harry and Ron. We had plans on sneaking into our opposing house's common room."

"Wow." The boy just stared at her, wide-eyed and open mouthed.

"It's nothing to be shocked about. I've done better or worse things than that." She boasted and shut the book.

"I'm surprised James and Sirius haven't came up with that. They've tried sneaking into the Slytherin Common room millions of times but never got to it."

Hermione just laughed and walked down another isle of books. She stopped again and picked up another book labeled, _Potions for transformation._ She flipped through the index, reading the contents.

"Potions to help aid people who've been bitten by Vampires…" She said quietly to herself. "Potions to help cure redcap, pixie, and Runespoor bites."

"What's that?" Remus came up beside her again.

"It's just a book for cures or antidotes to help bites or diseases." She said offhandedly, continuing to scan the pages.

Remus stiffened beside her slight and let out a low sigh. "They just can't find cures to everything, though." Then he turned around and headed to another bookshelf.

Hermione watched him retreat, then smiled knowingly to herself. Dumbledore would soon get her the ingredients she needed to make the Wolfsbane Potions, and Remus wouldn't have to suffer so much during transformations. Hermione put the book back on the shelf and continued looking down the aisle, looking for anything that might be able to bring her back home.

* * *

Meanwhile, down in the dungeons, a boy sat in a dark corner with his knees drawn up to his chest. He had his eyes narrowed and his breathing was slightly ragged from his run through the castle. With his head tilted back against the cold stone, his hair fell out of his face, leaving his features more noticeable.

He had a slender face and a slightly crooked nose; it had been broken at least once. He wasn't handsome, but he wasn't exactly unattractive either. He was somewhere in between that, his dark eyes reflecting the dim candlelight across from the room. His robes were tightly wrapped around his thin frame and he shivered slightly in the cold air of the dungeon.

Severus wrapped his arms around his bony legs and rested his chin against his knees. He peered at the wall across from him, his thoughts continuously moving back to the girl who had helped him out on the grounds moments ago.

He'd skipped lunch and had been outside sitting under his favorite beech tree a bit away from the lake. He was reading a book on Dark Arts when he saw Potter and his friends coming out of the double doors and he decided he didn't want any part of their games so he had got up and tried to slip past the boys unnoticed, but Peter had to point him out to the ringleader and his groupies.

They'd stopped him and threatened him, calling him names and making fun of him like usual. He'd shot back a few retorts but otherwise remained quiet. Just when he thought he'd be hexed for sure, Lily and her friend came up with that 'new girl' everyone was pointing out.

He knew even with Lily telling them to stop they wouldn't. He had thought about making a break for it, but Black would have just jinxed him anyways. It was always Black and Potter. He had nothing against Lupin, and he didn't care about Peter, because he knew they'd never do anything to him. But the other two…

He'd listened to Lily yelling at Potter and then Potter's daft ways of asking the redhead out like usual. Black had gotten impatient with James, so he turned on Severus. He thought he'd be swung up in the air again like the other numerous time he'd been hexed when the new girl shouted a spell at him. He thought he was getting attacked two to one at first but was utterly surprised when Black's spell rebounded on himself; the new girl had helped him.

She was haunting him now, his every thoughts. No one had ever helped him, not even any of his fellow Slytherin's. They'd all turned him out as an outcast and used him for his talents when they needed them. Of course, in Slytherin, you'd never have anyone as a friend. Slytherin's were known for their ways of keeping to themselves and doing whatever would keep them and only them alive. Severus felt odd having someone help him…

He closed his eyes and shook his head. This new girl was nothing special. Sure, she'd helped him out, but that didn't mean anything. She could hex him just as easily as she'd helped him. The light in the room dimmed slightly and the boy sat there in his corner, thinking that the new girl might be different from the rest of the Gryffindor's…

* * *

A/N: Sorry, this Chapter is a tad bit shorter than I hoped it to be, but as I said in my first A/N, I'm not feeling too well. So, what do you guys think? I'll update as soon as I can. - Min


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own any of these characters. I only own the plot.**

A/N: Okay, finally, I got this chapter up! Sorry for the wait, I've just been busy this weekend and everything. Some of the dialog in the story, I used directly from _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_. I finally got my myspace up, so if you want to go look at it, it's dedicated to Harry Potter. I'm still working on it, and I'm going to be putting fan fiction on it and I think I might make a fan fiction contest every month. I'm not too sure. Anyways, my Myspace and my blog are on my profile, so check it out if you want. I should have updates and so on posted on there whenever possible. I'm also going to be posting other peoples fan fiction on my sites (with their permission) and if you want me to post _your own _stories, just give me the link and I'll read through it and if I like it, I'll post it on there. Either that, or you can email me at you all for the wonderful reviews! After reading through them, the poll for, "Should Hermione become friends with Severus Snape," stands as:

**_Yes_**: 5

**_No_**: 0

**_Yes and No_**: 1

Since the poll has voted yes as the majority, I'm going to go ahead and say she become friends, because… well, after reading the majority of the votes I decided that this story will start the beginning of their friendship.

**Houguilter: **Thank you! This chapter will revolve around the beginning of the friendship between the two, and I do have plans for some mischief and things that they do together with the help of a few choice Marauders, of course.

**Wally4ever:** No, he's not, I'll go ahead and tell you that. I can't say that something will happen and someone will have to save her because of him, that'll be a secret if it does or doesn't happen. I'll keep it in mind though. : )

**The-kaiba-heir:** Thanks! It was shorter than the previous one. I try to make my chapters long, because I know people don't like to read something that's short. Also, I like to put in enough information so I don't leave my readers in the dust, you know? Not to mention, I just realized that I'm still on the first day. Chapter four and still on the first day, wow. This is going to be long, I think…. Anyways, I portrayed Severus like that because that's how I would imagine him as a teenager. He's not like he was/is in the future because he's still young.

**Alandrea-the-magical-kitty:** Actually, your poll was the last one I took up! So you got your review in on time. I try to make the Marauders as carefree as I can, joking and what-not. That's how I would imagine them in that time before they join the Order.

**To the rest of my reviewers: **Thank you all! Don't feel left out because I didn't put your name on the thing. I only respond like that to people who point something out or ask something. You guys are great!

* * *

Hermione stood up and stretched her arms out above her head. She'd been in the dungeons all evening brewing the Wolfsbane potion for Remus. Dumbledore had found her in the library with the russet haired boy and asked for her to come with him to the dungeons. Remus gave her an odd stare, but she shrugged at him and told him she'd seen him soon. 

She followed Dumbledore to the dungeons and to room 12. He said that no one used the room anymore because it was too small for classes, so he'd asked the potions Professor if she would be allowed to use it whenever she needed for certain things. He'd agreed, so now Hermione had a room to use to brew the Wolfsbane potion.

The room she was assigned to be able to work in was not too small, but not big either. It was unclean, layers of dust laying on everything that had been kept in there. The big grate for the fireplace hadn't been used in years, she was sure of it. There was a few desks and some stools in the room along with a blackboard, but other than that, it was empty.

So, Hermione set to work to make the potion with the ingredients Dumbledore supplied. It was taking the better part of the evening, and she was sure she'd already missed dinner. The girl stooped down after stretching and lifted up the cauldron full of potion. She took it over to the fireplace and hung it on the hook, letting it heat up for ten minutes.

Hermione brushed a stray curl out of her face and wiped the sweat off of her brow. Even though the dungeons were cold, sitting bent over a hot cauldron for hours could get pretty stifling.

She counted ten minutes down, not having a clock, then stirred the potion counterclockwise five times then three times clockwise. She waited four minutes then took the cauldron off of the fire.

"There." She said to herself triumphantly, looking at the perfect potion she'd brewed. She'd done everything right and she was proud of herself.

With the vials provided by Dumbledore, Hermione put the potion into the glass containers and set them neatly in a bag. When she had all of the potion transferred into the vials, she _scrugify-ed _the cauldron and set it aside with the other tools and leftover ingredients.

Hermione slung the bag of Wolfsbane over her shoulder, its heavy weight landing heftily against her back and she winched slightly. Maybe she shouldn't have made so much; but this _was_ Hermione. She wanted to make sure there was enough for the upcoming new moon of November, and also during December. She wouldn't have to make it again until January.

The girl was about to leave the room but when she was about to open the door, it opened on her instead and knocked her backwards when the doorknob hit her in the stomach. She winced again, this time in doubled pain as her bruise throbbed painfully. Instinctively, her left hand moved to her stomach, covering the damage and her other hand went to her wand. She didn't draw it, but she kept a grip on the end of it, just in case.

She moved slowly so that she could see who opened the door and was shocked to come face to face with Severus Snape. He looked equally shocked to see her, his dark eyes larger than she'd ever seen them.

He stood rigid in the doorway, slightly bent over in surprise. His eyes were glued onto her face, his face paler, if possible. His hair swung around his slender face at his sudden stop. His hair wasn't as greasy as usual, and it curved in slightly near the base of his neck.

"Oh." Hermione breathed out the air she'd been holding in after staring at him for a long, awkward moment. "Hi, Severus."

"Hi…" The boy looked at her suspiciously. "What are you doing down here?"

"Professor Dumbledore and Professor Baker gave me permission to be down here." Hermione told him lightly. (A/N: I just made up the name of the potions professor.. I have no idea who'd it be at the time… unless it's that Slughorn guy….) "What about you? It's rather late to be running around the dungeons."

The boy eyed her coldly. "I'm not _running _around and I have a right to be down here." He pointed at his prefect badge.

"Oh! You're a prefect!" It wasn't a question, more of an exclamation.

"Yes…" He looked at her oddly.

"So, you were patrolling or something?" Hermione cocked her head to the side a bit, smiling at the raven haired boy.

"Yeah…."

Hermione got the idea that he _wasn't_ patrolling. "Did you just come back from dinner, then?"

"I did, actually." He told her. She noted that he looked slightly uncomfortable.

Hermione nodded, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. She didn't know what to say to the younger version of Snape, but she didn't want to be rude. "Sorry about earlier."

The boy was quiet and he gave her another cold stare that he used in the future against his students. Hermione had to keep a smile off of her face; he still had some of his characteristics.

"Sorry." She said again, looking away from the boy. "I didn't mean to bring it up. It's just, James and Sirius can be prats sometimes." She said, more for the boys comfort.

"I agree." He huffed. "I guess I _should _t-thank you for earlier…." He trailed off, looking at her even more uncomfortably.

"Think nothing of it, Severus." She turned back to him and smiled warmly at the boy and was surprised to see a slight upturn of his lips. Was he smiling? Or, nearly smiling? There was another bout of silence when Hermione noted that he carried a book about DADA under his arm. She figured it wouldn't be too bad if she tried to strike up a conversation with the teenage boy that would soon be her professor. "You like Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Severus looked at her for a moment before nodding. "It's one of my best subjects, along with Potions."

"Really?" She already knew the answer to those of course, with the future Snape teaching potions and wanting the DADA position. _Would already knowing what he likes and dislikes be cheating in this conversation_? She wondered to herself amusedly.

"Yeah…" He looked at the wall behind her, then at the floor. He obviously wasn't used to being in close quarters with other people, let alone, Gryffindor's.

"Hey." She said as an idea came to her, and he looked up at her quietly. "Do you know how to do that shield charm I used earlier?" The boy shook his head slowly. "Would you like me to show you how to do it?"

Severus looked at her curiously for a moment. "You.. You don't mind?"

"Of course not. If I didn't, would I have helped you earlier?" She watched him shake his head again, then continued, "Besides. I'm not into the whole, Slytherin versus Gryffindor thing. I find it silly, actually. It's not what house a person is in, it's what's on the inside, no?"

Severus watched her with surprise, then he agreed. "I'm sorry, but all I know you by is 'the new girl…'"

"Oh. Well, I'm Hermione Granger." The girl replied cheerfully, extending a hand out to the boy in front of her who took it hesitantly as if expecting her to hex him at that moment.

"Severus.. Severus Snape." He shook her hand. "Though, you already knew that…."

"Yeah but that doesn't matter." She told him, taking her bag off of her shoulder and laid it down in a corner. "So, aren't you supposed to be patrolling?"

"I finished." His hand twitched slightly and she frowned.

"Is something bothering you?"

"No." He mumbled

"Don't lie. It's easy to tell when something is wrong." Hermione spoke quietly before sitting down on a stool.

"What is anything to you?" He spat, "It's not like a Gryffindor would care about a Slytherin."

"Like I told you before, Severus, I don't go for the whole House rivalry." She spoke calmly to the boy, watching his reactions.

With a slight sigh almost too quiet to catch, he closed the door and crossed his arms across his chest, staring at Hermione. "How do I know I can trust you with anything? I could tell you anything and you could use it against me."

"Well, I'm true to my word, though you wouldn't just take that." She said thoughtfully, biting her bottom lip gently.

"You're right."

"Severus, I don't know how to make you trust me, but I'm willing to do almost anything to prove that to you." For some reason, Hermione wanted his friendship and trust from this Slytherin boy. Was she going crazy?

It wasn't everyday that someone would meet up with their evil Potions professor in his teenage form though. He was still young; he still had some feelings in him that showed. Maybe she could get him to open up to her and other people. He didn't deserve to be treated as he was being treated by his schoolmates. Oh, what Ron and Harry would say if they knew what she was doing….

Severus was quiet for a moment before whispering, "An Unbreakable Vow."

"An Unbreakable Vow?" Hermione looked puzzled, having no idea what it was.

Severus nodded quickly and said, "It's a spell that requires the Bonder's wand to be touching joined hands of the person directing the vow and the person taking the vow. When each section of the oath is being sworn, a flame shoots out of the caster's wand and winds itself around the joined hands of the two people and that continues until the vow is done."

Hermione listened in interest, then asked him, "What happens if you break the vow?"

"You die." He said simply, shrugging his slender shoulders.

Hermione's mouth dropped open remarkably as she watched the boy. Was he crazy? "That's dangerous, Severus. What would happen if someone found out?"

"Nothing will happen. They wont be able to do anything about it. It's either that, or nothing." He stared at her intently with his dark orbs. They shined in the light from the fire, and Hermione could see something in his eyes that she could recognize. _Why would he want that? _

The girl gulped a bit, "What will the vow involve?"

The raven haired boy was silent and Hermione figured he was thinking. It was eerily quiet in that dungeon room, even the fire didn't crackle like it should have. The girl sat, watching as the boy though, his black hair overshadowing his eyes. Could she really make an unbreakable vow to Severus?

"We will both make three vows each. You will have to swear upon my three and I'll have to swear on your three."

"Are you sure you want this, Severus? You hardly know me." She blinked at the boy.

"I'm sure. The only way for me to even trust you, being a Gryffindor and all, you'll have to make the vow."

Hermione bit down on her lip again. "What do you want me to swear?"

Severus looked at her, his eyes still shadowed. Bending his head downward slightly, he whispered, "I want you to swear that you will never betray me like all my other so called friends that only care about what they need and want, their own desires. Swear that you'll keep the Marauders away from me, and that you'll always tell me the truth."

The brown haired girl looked at the boy in surprise. He wasn't asking for much, and Hermione found it quite emotional, actually, hearing her future professor asking for her sworn friendship. "Severus, you don't have to ask me to do those. I would have done them without a vow."

He looked up at her, clearly confused. "You mean… you'd do any of that without me asking?"

"Of course." She stared evenly at him, seriousness etching her voice. "I would never let anyone hurt any of my friends or people who I think deserve better. Severus, I would never do anything to hurt you, even if you did hurt me."

He was silent. He didn't move or do anything. His eyes were locked on hers, unmoving though swirling with emotion. "Hermione…"

"Yes?"

"You're the first one that I've heard say that… Either you're crazier than you look, or you really are a true Gryffindor…" He mumbled quietly.

Hermione grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

He grinned back and Hermione was astounded at how much his profile changed just by that one gesture. Hermione couldn't help but grin wider as she watched the dark haired boy. "You still want to do the vow?"

"I think we can skip that for a much more appropriate time." He said, the cold edge in his voice gone.

"So, how about I show you the shield charm now."

"Okay." He moved to the middle of the room and she followed him.

"Alright. Wand out." She spoke, drawing her wand from her cloak, Severus following suit.

"Okay, just hold your wand out like this." She showed him. "And wave it like this." She flourished it. Snape tried to copy her movements but got it slightly wrong. Hermione showed him again, and he tried once more. "Good. Now, when you do that, at this movement--" She showed him, "You say, '_pro-TAY-go.'"_

Severus flourished his own wand this time and muttered the spell. There was a flicker in front of his body and then everything was still. "Did… did I do it?"

"Almost. It was there, but slightly weak. This spell is slightly complicated. It took me weeks to get." She mused, impressed by how he'd almost gotten on his first try. "That was good though, way better than most people could do. Try again."

He looked nervously at her, then brandished his wand in the pattern she'd shown him. Another flickering movement shown in front of him, this time stronger.

"You did it! Oh wow, you learned that fast. Are you sure you haven't tried this before? I can't believe it! Do you want to try that while I'm trying to hex you? I wont do anything that'll hurt you, just a simple hex, and if you use the shield charm right, it'll just ricochet back to me."

"Okay…" He said slowly, gaping at her as she aid and asked him about a million things.

Hermione smiled kindly at him, then took up a stance a few yards away from him. "Ready?" He nodded. "Okay. 1, 2, 3, Go!"

Hermione shouted out '_stupfy'_ while Severus countered with '_protego.' _Hermione was hit with the ball of red as the spell bounced back at her. She fell over, stunned and her wand cluttered out of her hand. Snape moved towards her timidly and mumbled the couther curse _'ennervate.'_

The girl blinked as she was able to move again. She smiled broadly up at the boy as he helped her up. "You learned that a lot faster than I did."

He looked disbelievingly at her for a moment, then, he smiled, a true smile. "Thanks."

"I'm only telling the truth." She said as brushed her robes off. "You're a fast learner. You'll make a great wizard when you're older."

"You think so?" Severus blurted out, his eyes wide and sparkling; something Hermione had _never_ seen. She was seeing a lot of things that her future Professor would never do.

"I don't think so." She repeated her words from earlier. "I know so."

The next hours passed with Hermione and Severus talking about things like, spells, potions, classes, the works. She was happy to note that he didn't ask her anything about where she came from and she kept the chatting to a less personal genre. It was nearly curfew when they decided to go and Hermione bid him goodnight, feeling that she might be making a new friend.

* * *

Hermione came up to the portrait of the fat lady and said the password. The portrait swung open, admitting her into the warm common room. She had just gotten back from dropping the Wolfsbane Potions off at Dumbledore's office and she was cold and tired, not to mention hungry since she had skipped dinner. 

The common room was full of people working on homework or just talking to one another, and Hermione saw the Marauders near the fireplace; like usual. Lily was surprisingly sitting there with them, along with Alice and another girl. When Hermione had shut the portrait hole, Lily waved to her.

"Hermione! Where have you been!"

"I've been here and there." The brown haired girl said as she sat down heavily next to Lily on one of the overstuffed but comfortable couches.

"You missed dinner." Lily told her, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I realized that."

Lily looked at her sympathetically for a moment. "You really are something, Hermione."

"Tell me something I haven't heard before." She smiled cheekily at the girl who smiled back.

"'Mione, my love!" Sirius said loudly, just noticing her presence. Obviously he'd forgiven her or forgotten about what she'd done.

"Sirius, you prat!" Hermione countered, narrowing her eyes at him.

"A stab to your heart, Sirius." James laughed.

"A fair maiden such as herself shall not be wooed by my devilishly good looks." Sirius feigned heartbreak.

"You're right." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Hermione leaned back against the couch, her back resting on the arm. She kicked her shoes off and moved her legs onto the couch so that her toes were a few inches away from where Lily sat. That day had been one of the most awkward days of her life. She'd practically been in the past for a full day and if she didn't know any better, she was starting to befriend Snape. This way a day she'd never forget.

She closed her eyes, getting lost in her thoughts as she listened vaguely to the people around her. Remus was having a conversation to Peter about a potions essay while James and Sirius spoke to Lily and Alice about the effects of the_ Draught of Peace._

What would Harry say if he knew that she was sitting in company with his dead parents, dead godfather, a younger version of their former DADA professor, and the traitor that sold his parents to Voldemort?

Hermione frowned at the thought of Harry once more. Did Ron and Harry even know she was gone? Did Malfoy confess to having something to do with her disappearance? It had only been one day, if even that, that she'd been gone. She desperately hoped that Dumbledore would find a way for her to get home; though it wasn't every day that a future student showed up in his office unaware of where he/she was.

Not that the girl disliked being in the past. She found it slightly comforting, not having to watch her back constantly or having to worry about her friends. She even found it uplifting to not have to keep Harry from his depression. Though, he had done a good job recently trying to stay happy; Ginny helped him with that.

_Hermione! How could you think that! Harry's your friend and he'd always be there for you; he always has!_ Hermione felt her throat tighten with shame. After all Harry had done for her, she'd went and thought that. The poor boy was having to live up to his name, 'The Boy Who Lived,' and wouldn't be able to live a normal life, ever. He never had, and Hermione felt remorse fill her eyes with unshed tears.

He'd gone through so much, his parents death, even if he couldn't remember it, the overwhelming fact that he'd been famous all his life and never knew about it, having to go up against Voldemort the first two years he attended school, worrying about an escaped convict from Azkaban that was later found innocent, the triwizard tournament, facing Voldemorts resurrection, and the death of his godfather.

Sirius… Hermione shuddered, images of that night at the Department of Mysteries flooding back to her mind. That place had haunted her dreams shamelessly, taking her into nights of fitful sleep or bouts of tears. So much had happened there in such a little time, and her and everyone else of the Order or DA had suffered incredibly by the loss of Sirius.

Hermione had drifted off into her thoughts and wasn't aware of someone saying her name. She only snapped out of her trance when something landed heavily against her legs and her eyes instantly opened to reveal a very determined looking Sirius lounging on her knees.

"Get off of me." She growled under her breath.

"S'wrong, Love? You look upset." He questioned, grinning broadly at her.

The brown haired girl narrowed her eyes at him again. "Mr. Black, please abstain yourself."

"Aw, is wittle 'Mione in a bad mood?" He pouted mockingly.

She glared at him, slid her legs out from under him and stood up. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" She spat.

He looked slightly taken aback by her mood change. The others had stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the two in surprise. Sirius raised his hands up in the air, obvious confusion on his face.

"Hermione, I--"

Hermione cut him off. "I'm aware that you weren't trying to do anything wrong, but please, stop it. Just stop it." Hermione was becoming hysterical and she had no clue why which only caused her to flip out more.

"'Mione, what's wrong?" Lily asked in concern.

"Nothing."

"You can't say nothing, you're nearly in tears!" Alice cried from her position in the chair next to the redhead.

Hermione was silent for a moment. She could feel the tears stinging at her eyes, threatening to spill over her face. What _had_ caused her to go into a fit of anger and sadness? _I was thinking about the past.. Or the future, whatever it'd be considered now…_ She mentally cursed herself for allowing her thoughts to wonder so much. She blinked furiously a few times, wiped at her eyes and turned on heel.

"I'm going to bed." She murmured, disappearing after a moment as she went to her dormitory that she shared with the other girls.

* * *

The others watched her retreating back. They were silent until the girl was out of view then they all rounded on Sirius. 

"What did you do?" Remus asked quietly.

"I did nothing! Honest!" He exclaimed. "I asked her what was wrong because she looked upset and she just… blew!"

"Girls don't just get upset over nothing." James said lamely.

"No, really Prongs? I wouldn't have ever thought something would make a girl upset." The other dark haired boy snapped.

"Maybe something happened to her before she came here." Peter shrugged, looking from each of his friends to the other.

"You know. Petey might be right about that." Remus muttered only audible enough to be heard as a whisper. "It is odd that she just appeared here, at the end of October claiming to be a transfer student."

The others nodded in agreement and Peter asked, "What do you think she could be hiding?"

"Who knows." Sirius scratched the back of his head, ruffling his hair dramatically.

"Its not nice to be talking about her like this, guys." Lily spoke up. "She's a nice girl. She's probably just depressed from having to leave her friends behind. She spoke highly of them earlier."

"Oh. That's reasonable." The boys chorused.

"I suggest you boys try to not be so crude around her, she's not like the others around here that fall at your feet." Alice grinned at Sirius who only frowned at her.

"Ah, come off of it, Ali. I'll break through to her eventually." The boy said loudly, pretending to flex his muscles.

Lily rolled her eyes, Remus groaned in an annoyed way before turning back to Peter, and James just laughed.

"Well, I'm off to bed guys. Goodnight guys." Lily told them, gathering her things before going upstairs and Alice and the other girl followed her shortly after.

* * *

The boys sat in the common room the following hour as it slowly emptied until it was just the Marauders left. Sirius and James began devising a new prank to play on the Slytherin's and Remus read a book quietly while Peter finished his essay. They were all concentrating when the portrait hole opened slowly and in strolled Dumbledore. 

He walked up to the group of boys and smiled at them, his eyes twinkling before his gaze landed on Remus. "Hello Mr. Lupin, I was hoping I could speak with you about something."

"What is it, Professor?" He asked politely, watching the older man curiously.

"It's nothing bad, Mr. Lupin." Dumbledore assured him. "I guess I can say it in front of your friends, since they know about your problem, right?" He watched Remus nod, then clapped his hands together. "Mr. Lupin, I am proud to say, that there has been an, erm, _secret_ breakthrough to lycanthropy. It doesn't completely heal you of the curse, but it does help with the transformations."

The boys looked up at him, surprised at what he said. Remus was the first to say something. "You mean--"

"What I mean is, someone has came to me, asking if they could brew a potion for any possible students with lycanthropy. I asked them what the potion does, and they told me exactly this: 'It doesn't cure lycanthropy but it does prevent the extremely dangerous dementia which would otherwise accompany the transformation from human into werewolf. Or in other words, when the person transforms, they will keep their mind instead of being lost in the intelligence of a werewolf. The person would simply be able to go into a room and curl up quietly to sleep. They'd be of no harm to anyone, including their self.'" Dumbledore said thoughtfully, switching the young witch's words slightly.

Remus looked at Dumbledore with so much shock. James sat with his mouth hanging half open and Peter had an equal expression to match. Sirius narrowed his eyes slowly, "How come we haven't heard of this potion before, Professor?"

"As I said before, Mr. Black. It is a _secret_. The person who came to me with it didn't want it publicly out yet; for specific reasons. I assure you though, that it is safe. I would give my life to the person who came to me with it." The older man smiled down at the boys. "Would you like to try this potion out on the next full moon, Mr. Lupin?"

Remus looked to his friends for a moment, then seeing a slight nod from them all and a mischievous grin from Sirius, he responded. "I would like to try it professor."

"Good. You must come to my office the day before the full moon to begin taking the potion. You have to take it twice the day before the full moon and the day of the full moon. Though, under _any_ circumstances, you are not allowed to tell anyone of this. The person who came to me with this wanted their identity to stay anonymous, so I cannot say who it was. I'm sure you'll find out in time though. Now, I will leave you four to talk and do what you were doing before I so rudely interrupted." With that, he smiled at the boys and left, robes billowing behind him.

"Can you believe it!" Remus nearly shouted and jumped off of the couch he'd been sitting on.

"I know! I've never heard of anything like this." James said, joining his friend by standing up and patting him on the back.

"Just think what this could mean, Moony." Sirius looked at the other boys with large eyes, a goofy grin plastered on his face. "We can go around without having to worry about hurting anyone! You'll recognize us and everyone else."

Remus shook his head, not believing that this was happening. Nothing that great had happened to him since he had befriended the Marauders. Now, there was this, something that would help his lycanthropy! "I just can't believe it…" He whispered.

"Me neither. I wonder who the person was who made it…." James inquired, more to himself than to the others.

Peter stared up at his friends still. He wasn't exactly the type to talk around them, not having the backbone that they all seemed to have accumulated. Remus noticed this before, of course, and tried to get the boy to open up but to practically no avail.

James then randomly started to jump around hysterically while Sirius attempted to trip the boy. Sirius started to sing and James joined in, causing a lot of noise as they chased each other around the room. Being Quiddich players, they were both fast, jumping over chairs and couches, diving under tables, rolling around like secret agents…. Remus couldn't keep the grin off of his face now. Nothing would make him feel bad now, not since he found out about the potion.

"Luck is on my side this year…."

* * *

Hermione lay numbly on her bed with her curtains drawn shut. She had heard the other girls entering the room at least an hour ago. Everything was quiet, except for the light breathing of the girls that had fallen asleep. Her eyes, though unseen in the dark, were wide open. She hadn't been able to fall asleep, the thoughts of the Department of Mysteries stuck in her head. A certain one that Harry had had with Bellatrix stuck in her mind. 

"_What kind of prophecy? You jest, Harry Potter."_

"_Nope, not jesting. How come Voldemort wants it?"_

"_You dare speak his name?"_

"_Yeah. Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol--"_

"_Shut your mouth! You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare--"_

"_Did you know he's a half-blood too? Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle-- or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?" _

"_STUPEF--"_

"_NO!"_

Hermione shuddered, remembering Bellatrix Lestrange's words, her anger. The girls mind drifted on further to what she last remembered in that building at the time, when she, Harry, and Neville were running, being chased by the death Eaters when they were cornered in the room after a Death Eater got a bell stuck on his head and had transformed it into a baby's head. They had been running to the door that stood ajar on the other side when two more Death Eaters had entered through the door, yelling, "_Impedimenta,"_ sending Hermione crashing into a bookcase, Harry into a wall.

"_WE'VE GOT HIM! IN AN OFFICE OFF--"_

"_Silencio!" _

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_

Hermione had been about to congratulate Harry when she was hit with a streak of what looked like purple flames. It had hit her in the chest, then everything went black. Hermione broke out in cold sweat, trembling involuntarily. _Why!_ Her mind shrieked. _Why do I have to be so weak!_

She was unaware of the tears that streamed down her face. She started at the curtain opposite of her, watching it flutter slightly. It only brought back more unwanted memories…

_This room was larger than the last, dimly lit and rectangular, and the center of it was sunken, forming a great stone pit some twenty feet below them. They were standing on the topmost tier of what seemed to be stone benches running all around the room and descending in steep steps like an amphitheater… _

… _Instead of a chained chair, however, there was a raised stone dais in the center of the lowered floor, and upon this dais stood a stone archway that looked so ancient, cracked, and crumbling that she was amazed the thing was still standing. Unsupported by any surrounding wall, the archway was hung with a tattered black curtain or veil which, despite the complete stillness of the cold surrounding the air, was fluttering very slightly as though it had been touched…_

Hermione's breath caught and she choked, her throat tight. That veil was the second cause of everyone's pain. That damned veil had taken away Sirius.

She couldn't take it anymore. Hermione rolled over and ripped her curtains back away from her bed, swung her feet to the floor and ran out of the room as quietly as she could. She ran down the girls staircase, tears streaming down her face and her breathing coming out in quiet sobs.

She stumbled down the steps on her overly long pajama pants and reached out for the railing to steady herself before continuing on her way. She was haunted by those thoughts, those horrid dreams, the memories…

The girl stopped dead in her tracks. She had noticed that there were people in the common room; she wasn't alone. Four pairs of eyes stared at her, shocked at the site; she was stuck like a dear in headlights.

"Oh, God…."

* * *

A/N: I also want to point something out about this chapter. Severus and Hermione have a talk, or whatever you want to call it, and I felt that I didn't get the dialog and atmosphere right for the situation. I didn't really like how it turned out but I didn't want to go back and retype it, so bear with me. Sever is **not** fully trusting her yet, he's just understanding that not all people are bad and that he can have friends that he would never dream to have. (I think I made him too friendly with her… if anyone thinks it should be otherwise, tell me and I think I'll fix it.) I didn't like how this chapter turned out really, except near the end.. I guess. I'll try harder on my next chapter, I'm just having some family problems and my mind is sort of cluttered. 


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own any of these Characters. **

A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews! They're wonderful, just like all of you. This chapter was sort of rushed, so it's slightly off. Please don't kill me, I tried my best to get it decent enough to read. I don't know when I'm going to get to update for the next chapter because I have a lot to do the next few days, not to mention I'm about to leave to a friends house, sooooo, that's why this was rushed. Please, I really need reviews on this chapter to know what you guys think. It didn't turn out how I wanted it to, and I want to know what you guys reflect after reading it. It'd be so helpful if you guys would give me any constructive criticism if you think I need to fix something. Well, here we go, enjoy or try to anyways! - Min

**arandomreader: **To answer your question, yes, Lucius will be showing up in this story. He is attending his final year at Hogwarts right now and will be showing up soon.

**the-kaiba-heir: **Thanks! I wasn't really sure about the dialog between them, I'm still not. I think I made them a bit too friendly with each other, but oh well. Also, Hermione will have someone to confide in about Sirius' and the Potters death. It wont be the Marauders that she speaks to about it but there will be someone soon.

**Wally4ever:** I wouldn't just 'dump' the 'super Remus theory,' because there is still a lot of the story to cover. I'm not sure about the HBP spoilers. Since Hermione is in her sixth year, it wouldn't really be many HBP spoilers if I use any at all. She was only in her time until about November…. So I don't know if I'll even use things from HBP. I might just act like it isn't there for my story, you know? So… I'll just have to see.

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**Previous:**

_She stumbled down the steps on her overly long pajama pants and reached out for the railing to steady herself before continuing on her way. She was haunted by those thoughts, those horrid dreams, the memories…_

_The girl stopped dead in her tracks. She had noticed that there were people in the common room; she wasn't alone. Four pairs of eyes stared at her, shocked at the site; she was stuck like a dear in headlights._

"_Oh, God…."_

**

* * *

**

"Oh, God…." Hermione whispered, staring at the four Marauders who had stopped in their steps. James was halfway under a table, Sirius had one foot on a couch as if he was about to jump over it and onto the table James was under, Remus was standing up and Peter was just sitting down, quill in hand and opened mouthed; though they all were.

Hermione hurriedly brushed her long pajama shirt sleeve against her face, wiping her tears away, though they continued to flow from her stinging eyes. Her body wrenched with her quiet sobs and her breathing was still ragged.

The girls eyes darted from each of the boys blurred faces, then she closed them tightly. _This isn't happening_, she thought to herself. _There is **no** way in hell that this is happening!_ Her body trembled with the effort of trying to stop herself from crying, but nothing helped; if anything, it made everything worse.

She couldn't just run back up to the girls dormitory, it'd make her look like a fool but if she stayed there, she would have to explain why she was crying; it was stupid. Hermione leaned sideways so that her shoulder met the wall and then she pressed her back to it, sinking to the floor. She placed her face in her upturned palms, though covered with her pajama sleeves, and wished she would disappear.

When she felt someone put their hand on her shoulder she nearly jumped out of her skin. She jerked away from whoever it was, then moved her hands down so that only her eyes were uncovered.

Remus' face hovered in front of her, eyes full of concern and worry. Behind him, Sirius stood, stock still with James at his side; Peter was still sitting down in his seat.

"Hermione?" Remus spoke gently to her but she just stared into his eyes. "Hermione? What's wrong?"

She shook her head and muttered into her hands, the only word that was decipherable being, 'memories.' Closing her eyes again, she tried to clear her mind.

"Memories…." She mumbled again. "Bella….strange… 'demor…. Veil… dead--" Her words were incoherent to the other boys as they listened to her ramble on, all of her words coming out either unfinished or not making sense.

"Hermione, calm down. It's okay." Remus said calmly, brushing a few stray curls out of her face. "It's okay."

She nodded dumbly, and opened her eyes as the tears stopped. She saw Remus motion to the others and James came forward with Remus and helped her stand up. As if scared she would fall over at any moment, they walked with her over to a couch where she flopped down heavily in the middle, wiping at her eyes once more.

"I-I'm sorry g-guys." She sobbed. "I-I don't know what's gotten o-over me."

"Shh, it's fine. Just calm down." James said soothingly.

Hermione tried to smile at him but couldn't find the heart to. She took in a shaky breath at looked at the guys around her. "Thanks…"

"No problem, love." Sirius said quietly, sitting down on her left side. "You wanna' talk about it?"

Hermione looked at the dark haired boy quietly, then lowered her gaze to her own hands. "I… I can't…"

"You can't?"

"I can't… I just can't. Not right now. Please." She shook her head, feeling more tears prickling at her eyes. This was one of the first times anyone had ever seen her in a breakdown. She'd always been careful to stay strong around Harry and Ron.

"We understand, Hermione." Remus' voice drifted to her from her right and she turned her head to see that he had sat down next to her.

She looked at him guiltily, then looked at Sirius with the same expression. "I'm sorry I can't tell you, but, I just can't. Nothing against you guys, you're all wonderful in my opinion, but…."

"But what?"

"You guys wouldn't understand… and I can't say anything, it could be… dangerous." Hermione whispered, though it sounded as if she were talking to herself.

The room became quieter, if possible. All the boys stared at her, trying to figure out what was wrong. Peter, not handling the quiet too well asked, "What do you mean 'dangerous?' Are you dangerous or something?"

Hermione was shocked by his words. She turned to face him, wide-eyed. "I'm not dangerous!"

"Then what did you mean by saying, 'it could be dangerous?'" Remus questioned.

"It's not that _I'm_ dangerous, it's just that… what I… why I'm upset about.. If I tell you guys, it could be dangerous."

"How would it be dangerous? You can trust us, we're the Marauders." James patted her lightly on the back.

The girls throat became tight and she couldn't speak. She only shook her head, trying to get them to understand she couldn't tell them. Hermione then realized she needed to speak with Dumbledore about this. "I need to go see Dumbledore."

"It's late, why don't you wait until morning?" James put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.

"It can't wait, I need to speak with him." She stood up quickly and shuffled towards the portrait hole.

"Wait! Why do you have to see him?" Sirius called after her.

Hermione slowed down slightly, debating to herself whether or not she should or could answer. She decided against it, then opened the portrait and left, snapping it shut behind her.

The corridors were dark and quiet, the only sounds the girl heard was her own heart beat, the sound of her bare feet against the cold floor, and her breathing. She practically ran towards the Headmasters office and only stopped when she reached the gargoyle statue.

"Fizzing Wizbee." She spoke as calmly as she could and watched the statue jump aside. She ran up the steps two at a time, then knocked on the door that led into Dumbledore's office. Instead of someone asking her to come in, it opened for her.

Dumbledore stood at the door, quiet surprised to see her. "Miss Granger."

"Professor, I need to talk to you." She said quietly. "About some.. Things."

"Well, Miss Granger, I was going to speak with you in the morning about some things also, but since you're here already, have a seat." He motioned towards his desk and she walked slowly to one of the soft chairs and flopped down in it. Dumbledore walked briskly behind his desk, his robes swirling around the desk as he sat down. "Now, first off, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Sir… I know I'm being stupid about all of this, but I can't figure a way to get out of these situations I've been putting myself in. Since I came here yesterday, my memories have been… more perceptible in my mind. My past, or future, whatever you want to consider it, is haunting me more than it had before. I have the chance to change everything, but I can't. I've already had a breakdown, and I was hardly able to abstain myself from telling the Marauders about their future…"

"Ah, Miss Granger, this is along the subject I wanted to talk to you about." He opened a drawer and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment and opened it slowly. "I have a friend, who is an Unspeakable at the Department of Mysteries. I sent him an owl yesterday evening after you came and spoke with me about your problem. He, that is to say, the Unspeakable, has told me about a recently discovered prophecy. He told me that the prophecy had said, 'One from the time yet to come shall slip into the past of which the reign of the Dark Lord shall be at one of its weakest. Thereafter, the chosen will have to seek out the Lord and his followers to diminish the darkness that will plague our lives in the future. The chosen, and only the chosen, will come to us and change what will be the future.'" He read from the paper.

Hermione listened quietly. "I don't understand, Sir…"

"Of course, I hardly understand it myself. I had a brief meeting with the Unspeakable today, and we were discussing the matter. He came up with the conclusion that _you_ are the chosen one that the prophecy speaks of. We cannot be sure of that though, but it is the best we could come up with." The professor looked solemn, staring at the young witch intently.

"Sir… if this prophecy is meant for me, does that mean… I'm allowed to change the future?"

"Indeed, that is what the prophecy has pointed out."

"But… what happened to bring me hear was by mere coincidence. It was more of an accident, I shouldn't be here either way." Hermione was beside herself now.

"Miss Granger, it seems that some things have came and gone into your memories without your noticing. Things happen, and there are usually clues to tell you what is going on. Omens, a helpful way to figure things out. Most omens in the wizarding world are, in most cases, some type of creature. An animal of sorts and if my memory is as good as it was before, I do believe that you had said something about an _owl _when you came here."

The girl was silent. Dumbledore was right. She'd read about omens, but thought of it all as some Divination crap and she hadn't ever believed in any of it. _What if this is real? _Hermione questioned herself. _What if I do have to change the future? I'm going to have to be the one that goes up against Voldemort instead of Harry…_

Hermione gulped. "What is the chance of this person that the prophecy speaks of being me?"

"It's a pretty good chance, I'm afraid. You're the only one that I have met that has come to us from the future."

"Then…" Hermione looked calmly at Dumbledore and took a deep breath. "Then, I will do what I can to help change the future."

She watched as the older man nodded slowly, a small upturn in his lips. "I am proud of you, Hermione. This is a very big responsibility to take on, especially since you're so young."

"I'm willing to do… whatever it takes to help out in the future. I don't want what has happened to happen again. If I can, I will save Harry from all the torment he has witnessed, I will save Sirius and the Potters, I will--" She suddenly stopped, realizing what she'd said and clapped her hands over her mouth.

Dumbledore looked at her sharply. "What is this about the Potters?"

"I guess.. I guess since I'm here to change the future… I can tell you." She clenched her fists together and began, "In a few years, Voldemort will have come to stronger power than he is now, but that is logical. He targets the Potters, and goes to 'see' them about this time in the year. At that period, James and… Lily will have gone into hiding with their son, Harry. They will make Sirius secret keeper but at the last minute, there was a change in positions. Sirius chose someone else to take on the job, knowing that Voldemort would target himself by knowing he'd be chosen for the situation. The person that Sirius had switched with… was on Voldemort's side and sold the Potter's to him. That night, Voldemort came to them, as I said, and killed James." Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she thought about the boy she'd just met, his carefree ways and then to the girl he would soon marry. "After James was out of his way, he advanced on Lily. He wanted to kill their son, that's why he was there. Lily protected her son, gave her life away to save him. Because of that, when Voldemort turned his wand on Harry to use the Avada Kadavra curse, it backfired on him, leaving him nothing more than a broken… spirit, perhaps that would be the word for it. He disappears for thirteen years after that…"

She looked up at the Headmaster, seeing that the twinkle in his eyes had disappeared. "So, he targets the Potters because of their son?"

"Yes, sir." She lowered her eyes to her hands and fidgeted. "He doesn't stay gone though, he does return. Harry had to go up against him four times since he started at the future Hogwarts. I was there with him the last time… because he was after the prophecy that would be the weapon to killing Harry. I don't want it to happen again, Professor. Many innocent lives will be taken because of what happens. I want to stop it if I can…"

"I believe that is why you're here for." He smiled at her as she looked up. "You will be able to change what you think should be changed. Just remember, Hermione, it's not safe to go around publicly saying you're from the future. If the present Voldemort found out you were here, no doubt he would try to get a hold of you."

Hermione nodded, already knowing this. "Am.. Am I allowed to tell anyone about their future? So they will know how to change the mistakes that they made?"

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "I would say that would be a start. But also, I would say that, you shouldn't say everything that you know right away. Use your knowledge cautiously. If you tell them things that will effect their friends and their families, or anyone that is important to the future in any way, they might make things worse."

Hermione thought at this. She couldn't just tell them that Peter had betrayed them. Maybe she could get them to… get along with the boy a lot more than they did now. He could change in this time and not join Voldemort. "I will be careful, Professor."

"If this really will be the turning point for the future, we will have to get things in order soon. Voldemort isn't exactly weak at the moment. We will have to find known Death Eaters and keep check on them. I suppose you could help us there?" He looked intently at the girl in front of him.

"I can help you there. I know almost everything that they've done in the next twenty years, but I suppose that since I'm here, things will change slightly, if not drastically. I will however, try to help out as much as I can." She spoke firmly, beginning to form the ideas in her head. "Any information that will be useful for the Order, I will give to you."

"You know about the Order?"

"Yes.. I've been at the headquarters in short amounts of time for the past year in my own era, along with my friends."

He nodded thoughtfully at this. "I'm going to inform the Order about this, and we will have a meeting soon. If they agree, I will invite you to meet them."

"I'd like that." Hermione smiled, thinking about the Order in her day.

"Well, seeing that you are wide awake, as I am, how about we get started on things?" Dumbledore clapped his hands together and waved his wand in front of him, procuring a teapot with cups, parchment, ink, and quills.

Hermione smiled and nodded, knowing she was doing something for the good of the future.

**

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**

There was silence in the Gryffindor common room. All four of the boys had watched her leave quickly. This was by far the weirdest thing that had happened that year. They'd never met a girl who's attitude changed constantly, one minute looking vulnerable then next, determined.

"She's something else." Whistled Sirius after a long, awkward pause.

"I agree." Mumbled James. "What do you reckon she meant by telling us if she says anything that it could be dangerous?"

"Maybe she's an escaped convict." Peter squeaked loudly.

"What? Wormtail, that's got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Sirius rolled his eyes. "We've known her for what, one day and now you're accusing her of being an escaped convict."

"Well, she's weird!" The shorter boy whined. "You've seen how she acts. She even stuck up for Snivellus."

"Well, Lily does that too but she's not some runaway escapee." James groaned, leaning back against the couch he was sitting on. "She's just different somehow. She's too mature. Have you seen that look in her eyes?"

Remus nodded. "She looks as if she's seen a lot in her lifetime. It could just be because she transferred here and misses her friends."

"But why would she suddenly appear here at Hogwarts?" Peter questioned, fidgeting slightly. "It's too odd! She's odd!"

"Peter, quit. We have no right to accuse her of anything. She's been here one day, as Sirius said. We know nothing about her, for all we know, she could be here because her family died." Remus said solemnly.

Peter huffed. "Fine, but I'm warning you. There's something not right about that girl. I mean, think, she was outside late at night when we first saw her."

"She could have just fallen asleep outside." James snapped.

"Lets just drop this!" Remus said loudly. "I, myself, would like to stay on the better side of things. I just found out good news and now you guys are bickering like old women!"

"Moony's right." Sirius grinned. "This month when the full moon comes around, we're going to get to have some fun."

At that, they all were immersed in plans for the following full moon.

**

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**

It was nearly four in the morning when Hermione couldn't think clearly anymore. The Headmaster told her she should go to sleep and she followed his advice. She slowly and wearily made her way to the Gryffindor common room, her mind reeling over what she'd told the Headmaster.

She told him as many Death Eaters' names as she could recall, which was a long and tiring list. She then told him what some of the most recent happenings would be and Dumbledore assured her that he would place members of the Order in those locations to prevent them from happening. Hermione thanked herself for her photographical memory.

Hermione had asked Dumbledore if she'd be able to get home but he just brushed it off as if she hadn't said anything about it. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that she might not be able to. If that was the case, she would do everything she could to make sure that life for all of her future friends would be different, for the better. She had to destroy Voldemort before he went after the Potter's. Not to mention, she couldn't do anything that would prevent Harry being born. Not to mention Ron.

The girl rubbed at her temples as she stumbled into the common room. She was beginning to get a very bad headache. She peered around the room, seeing that it was deserted, the fire dying in the fireplace. Sighing quietly to herself, she made her way up to the dormitory she shared with Lily.

When she flopped onto her bed, she didn't bother even covering up. She was too exhausted, mentally, and partially physically from the lack of sleep to do much after she lay down. Within minutes, she was asleep.

**

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**

Light streamed into the dormitory from the open window to the right of Hermione's bed. Cool air filled the room, along with the sounds of people from outside. The room was practically deserted by anyone except for the girl that was just waking up due to the noise from the grounds.

Hermione sat up slowly, groaning slightly at how groggy she felt. Her hair fell into her face when she stretched her arms above her head. Brushing the brown curls out of her face, she glanced around the empty room, then at her clock beside her bed. It was almost 1 in the afternoon.

With a gasp, Hermione jumped out of bed and hurriedly dressed into a pair of light blue jeans and a black t-shirt. She wasn't one to sleep in late, even if she did go to bed late. She grabbed her brush and ran it through her long, brown curls. As she brushed her hair, she walked over towards the open window and looked out onto the grounds.

The lake glistened with the afternoon suns rays hitting the surface, reflecting the blue sky above. A light breeze ruffled the curtains around the window and she hopped up onto the window seat after brushing her hair. With her back to the wall, she bent her knees slightly so she could sit comfortably in the seat. She felt at peace, looking down at the shining lake.

She noticed movement down by the lake near her, Ron's, and Harry's favorite tree. On closer inspection, she saw the Marauders down there. It looked like Remus was sitting down with his back against the tree, James and Sirius were 'play' fighting, and Peter sat there cheering them on.

Hermione couldn't help but smile at their behavior. They were all so innocent right now. When would Peter turn to Lord Voldemort's side? When would James get together with Lily? The girl decided not to think of any of that, pulled out her wand and pointed at her own trunk.

"Accio Chocolate Frogs." She watched as the trunk burst open and a box of candy flew towards her. She did the same with a piece of parchment and a quill. She wasn't a big fan of candy, but she had some extra money after buying what she needed yesterday and McGonagall insisted she buy something for herself.

With the quill, she wrote on the piece of parchment:

_I'm sorry about last night. I want to thank you all though for calming me down. Here's a little thank you gift for you all to share._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

She stuck the parchment to the box then jinxed it to fly out of the window to the boys at the lake.

She watched the package as it neared James and Sirius. Peter pointed at it and they stopped, James in a headlock. They gawked at the box until it landed on top of Sirius' head and he let go of James, clutching his own head this time. James stooped over and picked up the box.

Hermione smiled as he read the letter, then yelled something to the others. Then, he promptly ripped open the box and grabbed a Chocolate Frog. He tossed some to each of his friends in turn, though James had turned to look at the window she was sitting at. She gave the boy a slight wave and he pointed at her, causing the other boys to look up to.

Hermione only grinned and hopped down off of the window seat, lingering only slightly to watch their reactions. She could clearly hear someone yelling her name, but she just shook her head, the grin still on her face.

Hermione went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and apply a bit of makeup that she had recently started wearing, then pulled her hair back in a ponytail. After a few minutes, she found herself sitting down on her bed, thinking once more.

She didn't know how she would approach the boys after that night. She was slightly embarrassed by her breakdown, and also ashamed that she had not told them anything. She missed more than ever now, how she could easily confide in Harry and Ron. Oh, how she wished she had Ginny to talk to…

As if on cue, the dormitory door opened and in walked Lily. Her red hair shined in the light and her face was lit up with a smile. It was obvious that she was just laughing, the air around her was merry and full of mirth.

"Oh, hey Hermione. You're finally awake."

"Yeah. I slept in a bit late." Hermione smiled. "So, what've you been up to? You look like Christmas just came early or something."

"Oh, well, I just convinced Alice to go talk to Frank. She went grudgingly but when he asked her out, she was so happy I couldn't help but be happy with her. It's contagious you know." She grinned, plopping down on her bed next to Hermione's.

"Oh." Hermione laughed. "Well, that's good." Hermione thought about Neville and how his parents would be tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange. She would stop that, no matter what.

"What's on your mind, Hermione?" Lily was peering at her, her head tilted to the side and her hair falling over her shoulders.

"Ah, just thinking about home." Hermione shrugged.

"You sure do miss your friends, don't you?" Lily frowned a bit.

"Yeah, but I came here, and I can't go back. Not now anyways." Hermione said sadly and looked towards the window. "Ron and Harry remind me so much of Sirius and James."

"Oh Jeez, I can't imagine another Sirius and James around." The redhead wrinkled her nose. "The two of them alone are enough."

Hermione laughed this time, a true laugh. Lily seemed surprised by her laugh, then joined in. Contagious, Hermione though. "They don't pull pranks like Sirius and James do. They are just… inseparable, like brothers. I miss the days when they were carefree, like those boys down there…"

Lily watched her in confusion at first. "What does that mean? What happened to them to make them change?"

The brown haired girl turned her gaze to Lily. Her eyes were clouded over slightly at memories. "Lily, you wouldn't believe me if I told you anything…"

"Try me." She countered. "Nothing could shock me more than finding out I was a wizard for the first time."

Hermione smiled at that. "I thought the same thing too."

"You're muggleborn?"

"Yeah."

"Oh wow, now I don't have to be around nothing but purebloods! I don't feel so left out now." She laughed. "So what is it that I wouldn't believe?"

Hermione sighed, laying down on her bed on her stomach. She placed her chin in her upturned palms and thought for a moment. "Hm, you'll think I'm crazy for saying this, but I'm not from this time."

"What? Not from this time?" Lily stared at her awkwardly.

"I'm not from here. I sort of got transported back in time. I live originally twenty years into the future." She watched as the redhead slowly began to soak in the information.

"So… so you're really from the future?"

"Yeah, that's why I had nothing when I came here. It was an accident that I came here in the first place, or so I thought. I think there's a reason why I'm here besides Malfoy just attacking me and sending me back."

"Malfoy? You mean, Lucius?"

"No, Draco, his son." Hermione stared at the floor. "He hated me and my friends. We were called the Golden Trio and were inseparable. He hated it."

Lily let out a small laugh. "Wow, I did think it odd that you just came out of nowhere. But hey, nothing is impossible in the wizarding world."

"Tell me about it." Hermione mumbled, rolling onto her back with her head hanging slightly off of the bed.

"So what's the story? How'd you get here exactly." Lily asked, moving off of her bed and onto Hermione's to join her by laying on her back beside the other girl.

"Well, it was Halloween in my time, and Dumbledore set up a Formal Halloween Ball that night." The brown haired girl smiled at the memories. "I remember getting ready with my friend Ginny, and then I met Harry and Ron downstairs in the common room. Oh, they looked so wonderful that night… it was the first time I saw Harry so happy after… well, an incident that happened. Ron was dumbfounded of course by how I looked." She laughed this time, to herself.

"Oh, I wish he'd have a Halloween Ball for us here…" Lily whispered.

"Really? Who would you want to take you?" Hermione asked, turning her head to the girl.

"Oh.. I.. I don' know." She blushed, staring up at the ceiling.

"James, isn't it?" Hermione smiled, seeing a deeper blush darken the girls face.

"Well, yes, actually. Don't tell him anything though! Please, Hermione!" She turned to watch Hermione, who only smiled.

"I wouldn't tell him. That boy's got it bad for you though, and you lead him on to think you hate him. That would never do any good, Lily. You should try getting along with him."

"How would I do that?" She squeaked.

"Just, talk to him about something he likes. Not Quiddich though." Hermione made a face, making the other girl laugh.

"Ah, well. Hermione, I don't know. I get so… weird around him. I don't know how to react to him half the time, and it makes me confused and that's why I yell at him." She whispered.

"Well, the only thing you can do is try. I know its hard for you but I've hung around guys all of my life practically and I know. The only thing to do is give it all you've got. Don't be afraid of anything, you have nothing to lose. You love him, he loves you… simple as that." Hermione told Lily halfheartedly.

"You're right. I should just give it all that I've got. So, finish your story." She urged the other girl, moving away from the topic about James.

"Well, on the way to the ball, I told Ron I'd dance with him because he was so nervous. The poor boy was so scared, I though he'd die from it all. Well, at the ball, we danced of course… and… and." Hermione blushed brightly.

"He kissed you?" Lily asked, wide-eyed.

"Well… almost. It would have been perfect if Draco hadn't came up at that time and ruined it. He tried to attack me when I didn't have my wand and Ron tried to defend me. Draco's groupies were with him though and they went after Ron and left me for Draco. He chased me outside, and attacked me. It's quite simple actually, but confusing all the same. When he attacked me, something went wrong and I was sent back here."

"Oh, wow." Lily breathed. "It must be hard on you."

Hermione nodded, her throat tightening. "I miss them so much…"

Lily nodded. "I could imagine. Don't worry though, you'll find a way back. If you can't find a way back, I'm sure your friends will find a way."

She smiled at Hermione, who smiled weakly back. "Lily, I'd give anything to have a girl like you to talk to in my time."

"What about Ginny?" The redhead asked incredulously.

"Ah, she's always talking about boys and makeup and stuff. I'm not really into that." She wrinkled her nose this time.

Lily laughed. "Most girls are like that."

"I noticed." She said dryly but couldn't help but smile. "Things are so different in this time though. Everyone is carefree and happy."

"What's wrong in your time?"

Hermione stared up at the ceiling again. "It's all because of Voldemort. He's the cause of why everyone is so uptight. He's killed so many people, tortured countless into insanity. So many of my friends suffer because of him. Just last year in my time, he killed someone that me and my friends were close to. It was hard on us all…" Her voice cracked near the end and tears stung at her eyes.

Lily gripped her hand tightly with her own, whispering, "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, Lily. Its just hard sometimes, you know?" She sobbed, keeping her tears from flowing.

"No one should ever have to die before they're old. Ever." The redhead said fiercely and Hermione sobbed harder. If only Lily knew what was to become of her and James…

_That's not going to happen!_ Hermione scolded herself. _I'm not going to let that happen to her or him. Harry will live a normal life with his parents this time._

Hermione sighed and turned to look at the other girl again. She looked just as upset as Hermione. "Lily, promise me you wont tell anyone anything I've told you."

"I wont Hermione." She looked at Hermione with her bright green eyes, swimming with unshed tears. "I just didn't know you'd been through so much."

"Well, once you've lived in a world where Voldemort is constantly in your lives, you change and deal with it all. It feels odd being here, without the constant danger lurking around." Hermione said thoughtfully.

They sat there in comfortable silence for a while. She was surprised how easily she fell at ease around Lily. Harry's mother had an air to her that would make anyone happy. Lily let out a sigh, and Hermione grinned mischievously.

"I have an idea." She sat up quickly, looking at the other girl.

"What?" She asked, surprised by the abrupt change of mood.

"You said you have trouble talking with James, right?" The girl nodded. "Well, you wont have to talk to him about your feelings!"

"What do you mean?" Lily sat up next to Hermione, confusion fixed on her face.

"You can be a secret admirer." Hermione grinned broadly as Lily squealed with excitement.

"Oh, that's a great idea, Hermione!" She hugged onto the other girl who blinked in surprise.

"Well, it is romantic and you seem to be the kind that would do that, you know?"

"How are we going to do it?" Lily asked quickly.

"You'll write him a letter confessing your love, and if he writes back, then you write to him again." She thought as she spoke. "Then, at a certain time, you can ask him to meet you somewhere. I know! Near Christmas, you can ask him to meet you somewhere in Hogsmeade!"

"Oh, that sounds perfect." Lily's eyes shone with eagerness.

"You should get started on that letter then." She grinned cheekily at her new friend.

And with that, Lily jumped off of her bed and dug into her trunk for some parchment and some bright green ink that she never used except for special letters. She flopped down on her bed and began to write, while Hermione watched, the letter that would help her start a relationship with James.

**

* * *

**

A/N: Alright guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter that was… off by a lot. I will update as soon as I'm back, which is hopefully soon unless something comes up. Anyways, you guys are wonderful, as I said before. I hope you all had a great weekend! - Min


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling.**

A/N: Woo! There was a Lunar Eclipse last night! It was awesome. Anyways, thank you guys for the reviews! I had some time after I came home from my friends house so I decided to start typing out this chapter, and throughout the day I've been taking short breaks to get this done. If any of it seems choppy or incomplete, please tell me so I can fix it. I feel that my chapters are incomplete but hey, it could just be me. - Min

**Wally4ever:** Yay! I'm glad someone likes it. I was skeptical at first, thinking I wouldn't be able to pull it off, but I think I'll be able to do a decent account on their love life. I hope. It's also a good thing that you aren't dumping that factor. -Hint hint, wink wink.-

**the-kaiba-heir:** Thank you! I try to update every day or every other day. I can type at a good speed and I already have a lot of things down in my head so I know where I'm going with my story; that allows me to update so often. I don't want to only update every week or so, because that's just… well, it just isn't me. It'd also take way too long to finish. That's also why I try to make my chapters a decent length.

**Evil Cat Hater:** Thank you! I'm glad you understand, I didn't really erm, make a great explanation of it, but more of it will be clarified soon. I also thought that James and Lily would be more of a romantic couple, and I picture Lily being someone who is into the romantic thing… so that letter thing just popped into my head.

* * *

Outside, the boys were now sitting on the ground under the tree with Remus. They were eating the chocolate that had fallen on Sirius' head and talking about Quiddich. Remus however, was staring up at the window where Hermione had been sitting previously.

Every so often he could catch a glimpse of someone moving across the room and he suspected that someone else was in there with her. After a while, he heard a high pitched squeal that he knew wasn't hers; it belonged to Lily. Sometimes, he liked having his werewolf hearing, but other times it was annoying. In this case, he wished he could hear more. Something about Hermione intrigued him.

He sighed, thinking about his lycanthropy. No girls he knew would ever date him if they knew what he was, let alone be his friend. He'd heard the girls in the common room talk about how 'scary' and dangerous werewolves were. They would never understand though. Being one was a lonely life, even though he had his Marauder friends with him, it could be highly depressing.

"S'wrong Moony?" Sirius said abruptly, breaking Remus from his thoughts as a crumpled up Chocolate Frog wrapper hit him in the head.

"Just thinking." He murmured.

"Oh, that's not surprising." James grinned. "Moony's the thinker of us all."

"Well, someone has to do the thinking, otherwise you guys would be stuck in trouble all the time." He narrowed his eyes at them, but couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Come off it, Moony. We have brains too you know!" Sirius cried.

"You sure don't use them then." He laughed. "Right Peter?"

Peter nodded slightly. "I can't complain though. I can't do anything right, let alone think."

"That's not true, Wormtail. You've got it in you, you just haven't bloomed yet." James cried out in a dignified voice.

"Bloomed?" Sirius snorted. "James, you really need to learn on how to put things, mate. Honestly, bloomed?"

"Don't make fun of me! I don't have a great vocabulary. Just give me a break." He whined, crawling over to Peter and sat down next to him. "At least Peter here doesn't question my intelligence."

Peter smiled broadly and James laughed. Sirius just tried to scowl at his friends but failed miserably, making him look as if he'd just eaten a wrong type of jelly bean. This only caused James to burst out into guffaws of laughter, which made Sirius fall over laughing because of his friends abrupt mirth, only to succeed in rolling to the side to far and falling into the lake.

There was shocked silence for a few seconds as the boys were taken aback by the sudden splash of water and the disappearance of their friend. When Sirius' head poked out from the water, they all burst out laughing, even Remus.

"Not funny guys!" Sirius whined, pulling himself out of the lake. "That squid could have eaten me!"

"Yeah right." Remus snorted, opening a chocolate frog. Chocolate was his favorite sweet.

"Seriously." Sirius said matter-of-factly, pulling off his dripping wet robe and tossing it to the ground beside him. "I might have died you know. There are things in that lake that no one would ever imagine!"

"Yeah… Some merpeople, a squid, a few fish. So harmful." Remus rolled his eyes, taking a bite out of the Chocolate Frog. "If anything's going to kill you, it's the fact that it's forty degree's out here and you're shirtless."

Sirius had discarded his robe, shirt, shoes, and socks. He now sat in only his jeans, his onyx black hair clinging to his slender yet masculine face. Water dripped into his eyes and he blinked it away quickly. "If you're so sure I'm going to die from the cold, hand me your robe, will you?"

Remus sighed halfheartedly and took off his robe. He tossed it to the shirtless boy and leaned back against the tree he was under. He would never get over how his friends acted. He enjoyed their company and was glad that they had accepted him, even when they found out his secret.

There was a comfortable silence that hung around the boys now, each either eating chocolate or just staring off into space, thinking. With the Marauders though, there wasn't always silence for long.

"When's the next Hogsmeade weekend?" James yawned as he fell backwards onto the ground purposely to look up at the clear blue sky.

"I believe it's next week, why?" Remus said through his thoughts.

"Just wondering. I was thinking about asking Lily to go with me." The boy blushed and continued looking up at the sky.

"You really should try to get along with her, Prongs." Sirius said through chattering teeth.

"I know I should, but I just get weird around her. None of you would understand, but it isn't easy being talking to someone that you really, really like. Not just a schoolboy crush and all that, I really have feelings for her." James mumbled to the sky.

"Even if you claim that we don't understand, we know you can do it. Since when did a Marauder become too chicken to do something?" Sirius pointed out with a lopsided grin.

"Yeah, well, Lily is something different. She isn't like all those other girls around here. She's special to me, and I'd do anything for her. She doesn't know that though and I suppose she never will…" James trailed off quietly.

"Hey!" Barked Sirius, his playful manner gone. This shocked James, so he looked over to his friend with wide eyes. "Don't ever say that, James."

"It's true though." He said loudly.

"You don't know that! James, you of all people should know that things aren't always what they seem to be." Sirius growled softly.

"Right…" James was suddenly moody.

"Who wants to play a game of Exploding Snap?" Peter asked nervously as he watched his two friends.

"I do!" Sirius said. Soon, him and Peter were engulfed with their game, so Remus got up from his comfortable position under the tree and sat himself next to James.

"James, I know it bothers you about Lily, but I believe in you. You out of all the people I know can win her over. I've seen how she stares at you in class when she thinks no one is watching, or the way she blushes around you." Remus murmured so that his voice was only audible to the two of them.

"You serious?" James asked incredulously.

"I'm serious, Prongs." Remus nodded, looking up at the sky while he stretched his legs out in front of him while leaning back and placing his palms on the ground behind him for support. "She's got it for you, just as you've got it for her. Give it everything you've got."

"I don't have anything." James snorted loudly.

"James, have you ever thought about doing something special for her?"

"No, not entirely. It's crossed my mind before, but I've been too chicken to even get up the nerve to do anything about it." He blushed again.

"Maybe it's time you changed that and gave it a go." Remus shrugged.

There was a silence for a moment, then James sat up. He turned to his werewolf friend and smiled at him, his shaggy and messy hair falling into his eyes. "Thanks, Moony. I owe you one." With that, the boy jumped up and jogged to the castle.

"What was wrong with him?" Sirius asked abruptly.

"He's realized what he needs to do about Lily." Remus told the boy with a sly smile. "I have a feeling things are going to change with him and her this year."

* * *

Lily was walking beside Hermione as they made their way to the Owlery. Lily's face was flushed with excitement and anticipation. Hermione couldn't help but keep the grin off her face as she watched the girl beside her. Lily truly was someone that you could hang around with.

When they reached the Owlery, they shuffled into the small room with its high ceiling. Feathers littered the floor, along with other things that Hermione tried not to step on. Hermione looked up for one of the schools owls to use and located one near them. She beckoned it down to them and it landed on Hermione's outstretched arm with a quiet 'hoot.'

Lily tied the piece of parchment to its leg nervously. "This goes to James Potter." She told it gently, stroking its feathers gently. It merely hooted again in reply and jumped off of Hermione's arm, flying back up to the rafters.

"He should get it tomorrow morning." Hermione smiled at the redhead who was nearly jumping around in anticipation.

"I know, I know, but what if he ignores it?" She whined.

"He wont. This is James, a Marauder. He wouldn't just ignore it. He would at least send some type of reply." Hermione said lightly, walking over to one of the thin slits in the walls that were considered windows.

"Yeah, you're right."

Hermione looked down at the grounds and narrowed her eyes slightly. Someone was running towards the castle, and he looked familiar. For a second, Hermione's heart fluttered as she thought it was Harry, but then realized it was James.

"I wonder what he's doing…"

"Huh?" Lily came up beside her, looking out the window next to hers. "Who?"

"James."

"I don't know. Maybe he forgot to do something." She shrugged.

Hermione turned around and looked at the wall across from her and Lily. Shadows were stretched across the stone, up to the ceiling. The outline of owls darted across the walls as the shuffle and whoosh of them flying above her echoed up the tower. The girl could see Lily's shadow from where she stood in front of one of the windows, stretched upwards higher than Lily's actual height. The girl blinked and scanned the wall again. There was something odd.

"Lily, tell me, do you think there's something wrong with these shadows?" She gestured to the ones on the wall in front of her.

Lily turned around a looked for a few minutes. Her face was screwed up in concentration, then a sudden look of dawning appeared on her face. "Hermione! I don't see your shadow!"

Hermione blinked and checked. Sure enough, there was no shadow. She checked to make sure by moving around a bit, but nothing moved in her actions. Her eyes were wide and she looked at Lily who had a look of shock on her own face.

"What do you think?" Lily whispered.

"I.. I don't now." Hermione had always had her shadow, but now… it was gone.

"It might have something to do with… your time travel." Lily spoke quietly still.

"Yeah… I think I should speak to Dumbledore about this. I've always had my shadow until now." This conversation was one of the oddest that Hermione had ever had. Since when did someone lose their shadow? _You don't just **lose **your shadow, _Hermione scolded herself. _There's got to be a logical explanation to all of this. Dumbledore will know, he always knows._

"Lets get out of here." Hermione said after an awkward pause. "I'm hungry… I think I might make a stop at the kitchens. After missing Breakfast and Lunch, I'm famished."

"You know where the kitchens are?" She stared in awe at the other girl.

"'Course, how could I not? This is, after all, my school. Having Harry and Ron as friends, I know a lot about this place that not too many people know. Shortcuts, hidden passages, the works. Her eyes sparkled with mischief at the memories that flooded through her head.

"Wow. So James and the others aren't the only ones in this school that know where a lot of stuff is." Lily smiled. "Think you could show me some places?"

"Yeah." Hermione grinned. "I can show you lots of places."

Lily squealed loudly and hugged Hermione. She'd become used to the girls abrupt squeals and hugs and she found it comforting.

"C'mon, I'll start showing you around." Hermione grinned and led them out of the Owlery.

On the way to the kitchens, Hermione showed the girl through quite a few hidden shortcuts and passageway. She even mentioned that one day she would show her a secret room that was called The Room of Requirement. She was eager to see the place, though Hermione explained that it only appeared when someone was in need of a place to go and would turn into what the person in need needed.

After a good twenty minutes of showing Lily around the secret shortcuts, they came to the kitchens. Hermione walked up to the painting with the bowl of fruit and tickled the pair. It wiggled for a moment before turning into a doorknob.

Gripping the doorknob, Hermione turned to Lily. "Lily, welcome to the kitchens."

When Hermione opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Lily, they were surrounded by eager house elves. Lily's eyes were as wide as the house elves in front of her greeted her cheerfully, and Hermione only held back a slight frown. She still didn't like the whole unfairness of house elves, but she would have to let it pass for now. She was hungry.

"What can we do for you miss's?" One of the house elves bowed to Hermione and Lily.

"Please, call me Hermione," The brown haired girl said to the bent over elf. "and call her Lily."

The elf nodded, bowing again. "What can we get you, Miss Hermione, Miss Lily?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like something for a postponed lunch." Hermione told him with a smile. "And maybe some dessert. Anything will do for me."

"Could you get some treacle tarts?" Lily spoke timidly.

"Of course, Miss Lily!" Squeaked a nearby house elf before hurrying off and was followed by a few more.

Moments later, the elves returned with the food. Hermione thanked them and they bowed to them. Lily did the same and blushed slightly as they bowed. Hermione and Lily sat down on some stools to eat their food and Hermione even spoke to the elves.

"How have you guys been fairing?"

"We've been fairing well, Miss Hermione." The nearest one squeaked.

"That's good to hear." Hermione smiled fondly at the small elf. She didn't want to anger them by asking about wages and whatnot so she kept her mouth shut. It wouldn't do any good to anger them now. "You all do a wonderful job on the meals you serve here at Hogwarts."

The elves beamed at her and thanked her for her kindness. Hermione grinned and Lily smiled warmly at Hermione.

After the two had finished eating, they bid the elves goodbye and they were ushered to the exit.

"Come back soon, Miss Hermione, Miss Lily!" They squeaked as they waved to the two girls.

"Thank you all for the lunch and dessert." Hermione called as she stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her.

"Wow. I had _no_ idea that the kitchens were here, let alone that house elves cooked all the food." Lily said with surprise evident in her voice.

"I know, when I found out, I was horrified. I was always against the behavior towards house elves." Hermione shrugged.

"I know. They come in useful though. I mean, they do enjoy what they do, but I mean… It's not fair with how some people treat them." Lily mused.

"Yeah…" Hermione felt she didn't really want to voice her opinions about House Elf liberations so she didn't continue with the discussion.

They walked in silence until they found themselves leaving the castle. In the courtyard, students stood together in groups chatting to one another happily. Most of them were Ravenclaw's or Hufflepuff's with a few Gryffindor's mixed in. Lily led Hermione away from them and into the grounds where students sat scattered around the vast lawn of Hogwarts.

Hermione's eyes wandered over to the hut that sat near the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid was there. He lived in that hut with Fang. Lily must have noticed her gaze and spoke up.

"I suppose you know Hagrid?"

"Yeah.. He was a good friend of mine." Hermione smiled weakly up at Lily.

"Do you want to go talk to him? Him and I are on good terms. I go down there when I need help with my Care of Magical Creature's essays."

Hermione's mood immediately improved. They strolled to the hut and knocked on the door. From inside, Hermione could hear Fang barking and then footsteps. The door opened and Hermione was staring at a younger version of Hagrid.

He was still the same height as before, his unruly hair and beard a tangled mess and his beady eyes sparkling brightly in the sunlight.

"'Lo, there, Lily." He smiled. "Who's this you've got with you?"

"This is Hermione. Hermione Granger." Lily said with a hint of pride in her voice that Hermione was stunned at.

"Oh, this is Hermione Granger? Dumbledore tol' me 'bout you of course." He said. "Come in if ya' want. I have some tea on the fire righ' now."

Hermione smiled broadly up at the half giant fondly before moving into his house. Everything was like she remembered it. His huge bed, his giant table, everything. Even Fang was exactly as she remembered him.

Fang bounded up to her and jumped up, drooling noticeably on her robes. She just laughed and fought back more tears that threatened to leak from her eyes. "Oh, Fang. Get off me." She whispered halfheartedly, a smile of joy plastered onto her face as her eyes sparkled with tears.

Hagrid watched her with slight amusement. Of course, he'd know what she was and who she was. Dumbledore trusted Hagrid with his life.

"How are you, Hagrid?" Hermione asked as she sat down on his couch with Lily.

"I'm doin' great, s'a matter o' fact." Hagrid said as he took the pot off of the fire. "Dumbledore tol' me everything that was goin' on with you." He gave a sideways glance at Lily.

"Lily already knows, so it's okay to talk about it in front of her." Hermione smiled.

"'O, in that case, I suppose you knew me in yer time?" He placed three mugs in front of each of them and poured steaming hot tea into them.

"Yeah… me and my two best friends were close to you.. Or, I'll say, will be." She bit onto her bottom lip. "We actually went through a lot together."

"Is that so?" He smiled at her. "Kinda' odd, sittin' here with someone that knows a lot 'bout you but you don't know nothing about them."

Hermione laughed quietly, taking a sip of her tea. "I remember…." Hermione began but didn't finish. She wasn't sure if she should tell him about anything.

"Remember what?" Lily asked beside her.

"Ah, it was just a memory." Hermione grinned. "One year, Hagrid showed his classes a bunch of Hippogriffs and Harry was the first one to volunteer to approach them. He even got to ride on it, and then this Slytherin insulted it and got slightly hurt. Oh, the look on Draco's face was priceless.."

"Classes?" Hagrid asked with interest. "What's that s'pose to mean?"

"Oh!" Hermione breathed in sharply. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. You'll be a professor for Care of Magical Creatures in the future."

He smiled broadly. "Always knew Dumbledore was a kind man. Never woulda' imagined that tho'."

The brown haired girl smiled into her mug. He was just like he was in her time. She could almost imagine Harry and Ron with her, sitting happily in Hagrid's hut, talking about the summer.

The afternoon passed by and Hermione and Lily stayed with Hagrid for company. He served them his famous rock cakes and they spoke about dragons and other creatures that Hagrid fancied, Lily participating in quite a few of the conversations.

Hermione was happy to see that Hagrid was taking a liking to her. She would have been devastated if he hadn't liked her at all, but he looked at her like he did in her time; warmly and with something that she thought was pride.

It was dark outside by the time he told them they should go up to the castle and eat dinner. Hermione was slightly reluctant to go, but the growling of her stomach told her that dinner would be best at that time.

As the two girls entered the Great Hall, they were greeted by shouts coming from the end of the Gryffindor Table. Lily led them towards the Marauders, where James and Sirius were calling for them. As Hermione passed the Slytherin table, she saw Severus and smiled warmly at him. He nodded to her, and resumed talking to a boy that looked disturbingly familiar to Hermione.

When she settled herself at the table between Peter and Remus, Lily in front of her between Sirius and James, she asked what the boys had been up to that afternoon.

"Oh, just a bit of this and that." Was Sirius' reply, his eyes sparkling in the light of the room.

"If you mean 'oh, I just fell into the lake and spent hours drying off,' then he's right." Remus grinned from behind his napkin.

Hermione choked on the pumpkin juice she had been drinking and coughed. Remus thumped her on the back gently and she turned to him with a smile. "Did he really fall in the lake?"

"Yeah, he also claims that the giant squid tried to kill him." He replied with a wink.

Hermione was taken back by this at first, then she laughed. Her clear, pure laughter echoed lightly around the group of people and a few first and second years around them turned to look at her. The Marauders and Lily just stopped what they were doing and stared at her in awe. Of course, the girl was unaware of any of it. She wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. She hadn't laughed like that in a long time.

She shook her head and smiled at Remus. "Thanks, I needed that."

He grinned at her and turned wide eyed to his friends. They all had similar looks on their faces, staring at Hermione. She didn't notice it though, and just filled her plate with some food and began to eat, feeling cheerful and comfortable sitting with the Marauders and Lily.

* * *

Severus sat facing a boy with shoulder length blonde hair. He had the air of importance around him and held himself in a dignified way. His grey eyes were colder than ice, watching the thinner boy across from him.

"I find it quite foolish that Dumbledore lets halfbloods and mudbloods in this school. But that mudblood lover couldn't be more happy with this filth running around Hogwarts. Father thinks it's a shame, and I agree." The boy said coolly.

Sirius stared at the boy. "You couldn't be more right, Malfoy." He spoke quietly, yet his voice was perceptible to the platinum haired boy. Severus though, felt oddly guilty at the fact that he'd said that. He was quite sure that Granger was either a halfblood or a muggleborn.

"Did you notice that new girl? The one that was sorted into Gryffindor?" Malfoy drawled. Severus stared at the boy coldly and nodded slightly.

"Yes, I noticed her. Why do you ask?"

"She seems different from those other Gryffindor's. I've only seen her a few times, but there's just something about her." He conversed.

"Yeah. I've… spoken to the girl before. She doesn't care about Houses…" He said quietly.

"You've spoken to this girl?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "What were you talking about?"

"It was more of an accident. I ran into her in one of the dungeon rooms." He mumbled at his food.

"What was she doing in a room down in the dungeons?" His voice had a hint of suspicion in it.

"She said she had permission from Baker and Dumbledore to be down there. I didn't question her about what she was doing." Severus said slowly, looking up at the older boy.

Malfoy was just quiet and regarded Snape with a smirk before continuing eating his dinner. Severus however, looked over at the Gryffindor Table where the girl was sitting, facing him. Someone had said something and she was choking on her drink and that Lupin boy patted her on the back. He watched as she turned to ask him something and the boy replied causing her to laugh.

Severus could hear her laughter from where he sat. He watched her laugh, the light, lingering sound of her voice echoing through the hall. Malfoy rolled his eyes at the noise and took a drink of his pumpkin juice.

"You seem occupied tonight, Snape." Malfoy said after a moment of watching the dark haired boy.

"I have a lot on my mind."

"Like?"

"That would be none of your business, Malfoy." He smirked slightly, prying his eyes off of the brown haired girl.

"Really? Be that way then." The other boy just drawled again. "You keep your secrets, I'll keep mine."

Severus just stared at Malfoy coldly. This boy was getting on his nerves, but he wouldn't allow him to know that. Malfoy was usually fair, and that's why Severus put up with him but he hated how he acted more superior than himself.

With a slight nod to Malfoy, Severus pushed his plate away from him, stood up and walked out of the Great hall. He headed to the Slytherin common room, his robe whisking around the corners as he turned at each.

The sound of Grangers laughter echoed in his head. For some reason, as Malfoy had said, he felt there was something about her. She didn't seem to belong here, where one house hated the other. She seemed to think them as equals. When he spoke to her that night in the dungeons, he realized that she wasn't selfish in any way and she'd defend someone else before even protecting herself against something.

She was truly something else…

* * *

Remus felt his heart lighten considerably during dinner. After Hermione's hearty laughter earlier, everyone seemed lighthearted. Even Peter was talking more, which was an improvement. James was speaking to Lily now _without _making her mad, and Remus grinned. This was a Polaroid moment.

Hermione was oblivious to the change she had made to the people around her. Of course, she wouldn't have known how it normally was because this was her first time eating with the whole group.

As the russet haired boy ate his potato, he kept looking sideways at the girl next to him. She looked completely different than she had the night before, scared and vulnerable. She was now sitting next to him, talking happily to the boys around her, grinning at Lily and James, and laughing every so often. She seemed to glow with something that Remus couldn't quite figure out.

Hermione turned to look at the boy, and he blushed slightly as he had been staring at her. She smiled at him warmly and tilted her head to the side a bit.

"Something wrong?"

"No, nothings wrong." He smiled back at her. "So, how'd you like your second day here at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, it was great." She breathed. "Lily and I had a great time today."

"I'm glad. So, what was the deal about this afternoon? Did you purposely charm that box of Chocolate Frogs to drop down on Sirius' head like that." He teased.

"Oh, well. I didn't _purposely_ do that. It wasn't meant to… _attack _anyone. It just happened." She smiled sheepishly.

Remus laughed gently. "It was great. You didn't have to apologize or thank us though."

It was Hermione's time to blush. "I… I know, but I wanted to anyway. You guys have been so great to me, even though you hardly know me." She smiled sadly as she said this. "You guys don't know how much it meant to me when you guys put up with me."

Remus watched her face sadden as she spoke. He felt guilt surge through his body at the memory of the conversation they had after she'd left to talk to Dumbledore the previous night. It wasn't exactly him that he was ashamed of, he hadn't said anything about her, but she was speaking about them in a plural tense and Peter had accused her of things.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked him, concern evident in her chocolate colored eyes.

"Nothing." Remus smiled again at her. "I was just remembering something."

"Oh." She sighed. "Anything you'd like to talk about?"

The werewolf watch her with slight surprise. She was different form the girls he had been acquainted to. Remus just shook his head.

"Well, if you want to talk, I'm here." She smiled warmly at him, then unexpectedly, she leaned over and hugged him tightly.

He was so shocked that he couldn't comprehend that there was a girl hugging him at first. After he realized this though, he hugged her back, though awkwardly. Sirius was grinning from ear to ear when he saw this, and James actually laughed, though covered his mouth with his hands when Lily shot him a warning glance.

When the girl pulled away from Remus, she was smiling broadly. "Sorry."

Remus shook his head. "It's fine. I was just shocked."

Hermione laughed quietly. "That's what Harry and Ron would say."

"Who're they?" He asked suddenly.

"Oh, they're my best friends from where I come from." The girl shrugged her slender shoulders.

"Oh."

Remus felt something pull at his stomach from the inside. He was feeling something that he'd never felt before. He pondered for a moment, and his mind settled on the conclusion, 'jealousy.' _That isn't right. Why would I be jealous of her friends from where she came from?_ He shook his head and took a drink of his pumpkin juice.

He was just feeling odd from the hug. It wasn't any big deal but his mind screamed that it was. He'd never been hugged by a girl before. He blushed, knowing his friends would have something to tease him about now.

* * *

It was after dinner and everyone was sitting in the common room. The Marauders were sitting in the chairs closest to the fire that everyone seemed to leave for them. Hermione was sitting in a window seat, cushioned by numerous pillows. She had a throw blanket draped over her legs and she was reading a book she'd borrowed from Lily.

Lily was sitting on the floor under Hermione with her back against the wall, writing the last three inches of her potions essay. James sat in the chair across from the redhead, facing her. He kept glancing at her as he joked with Sirius, and the other boy would ruffle his hair up every time he looked. Remus and Peter were having a conversation about Defense Against the Dark Arts and boggarts.

Hermione's mind kept drifting away from the book she was reading. She couldn't concentrate on the words printed on the yellow pages. Looking to her right, she peered out of the window beside her.

The moon was beginning its waning cycle. The white glow of the silvery orb left shadows on the ground and Hermione shivered slightly. She was racking her mind trying to figure out what her not having a shadow meant. It was odd, but so were a lot of other things that were happening lately.

With a sigh, Hermione shut the book she had been reading with a snap. Shifting uncomfortably in her window seat, she looked down at Lily. The girl was absorbed in her work, mumbling things to herself as she wrote something out of the textbook to her right. Hermione let her eyes wander around the room now.

They settled on James for a moment, seeing him glimpse over at Lily. His face flushed slightly when he saw Hermione watching him and hurriedly looked away. The girl grinned slightly and leaned over so she could whisper to Lily.

"You do realize that James keeps looking at you, don't you?"

Lily jumped almost a foot in the air, not realizing Hermione had lent over. "Jeez Hermione, you scared me! And yes, I know he's been looking over at me. It's hard not to notice."

Hermione laughed lightly. "What do you think he'll do tomorrow morning when the mail comes?"

"I don't know." Lily squeaked a bit louder than she planned, earning a look from Remus and Peter. "I'm just nervous, really."

"That's understandable. Well, I'm going to head to bed, Lily. I'm tired."

"Alright, I'll be there soon. I just need to finish this last inch and I'll be done." Lily replied, turning back to her work.

Hermione hopped down off of the window seat, avoiding stepping on Lily's things then made her way up to the girls dormitory. That night she had no problem going to sleep and was soon immersed in dreams of Ron and Harry in their first year at Hogwarts….

* * *

A/N: So what did you guys think? Some of it might be confusing right now… but everything will be sorted out soon. Thank you for taking your time reading this! You all are great! 


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. Parts of this chapter belong to OTP, not me.**

A/N: This chapter has been greatly postponed, I'm sorry guys! I was going to update earlier than this, but I was at a friends choir concert one night, and then the next night there was a storm and the power went out and all that I had typed beforehand got deleted because I hadn't bothered to save it. My updates might be a bit spaced out more than they usually are because my sister and her boyfriend are moving back in and well, I'll end up having less time on the computer. I'm not too happy about it all, but I can't do anything, my mom will kill me if I object. I'm also going to be spending the next day or two moving things in and out of the house, so I'm going to bee way too busy to get on the computer. So… I hope you guys understand! ;-; I also hope you all enjoy this chapter, this is coming from a sleepy mind tonight. It has minor OTP scenes or, scene, whatever, I don't remember, but yeah, just letting you know. - Min

**Evil Cat Hater: **Lol, I'm glad that my typing can be followed. Sometimes, I feel when I type that my dialog is a bit… confusing. You can ask more questions if you want, but it depends on what they are if I'll answer them. If you aren't too sure about something, just ask and I'll either point out what it means or is, or I'll just tell you that it'll appear in a later chapter.

**Milo: **There will eventually be a confrontation between Remus and Snape, but that is to be expected. I know how you feel about 'Snape and Hermione' but the way this fanfic is going to turn out, I'm going to leave it as a Remus/Hermione coupling. There might be a few future scenes that will induce a 'more than friendship' between Severus and Hermione, I will tell you that, but it won't last long, if I do decide to do that. I know it sounds a bit mean the way I'm putting it, but you'll just have to continue, I guarantee you'll like it. PLEASE, NO ONE KILL ME FOR MY CHOICES FOR THIS STORY! I'm sorry if anyone feels offended by my writing, but this is how I'm doing it. I mean, of course, you're going to have to have _some _competition for that school romance melodrama. And to answer the last question, Milo, she will try to stop him, but lets just say, she's a bit late.

**Wally4ever: **I'm glad! I'm sorry about the homework, I remember when I had to do loads of book reports and algebra. Ugh, never my type of work; honestly. I preferred Geometry over Algebra, it was a lot easier. Especially with fractions. Blah. Horrible stuff there. What show did you miss? Anyways, I'm updating now, so please, don't kill me for having this a bit late. You're a great reviewer!

**To all of my reviewers: **You guys are amazing. I love your reviews, they make me happy; that's saying a lot too. Every time I read a new review, it encourages me to write more of my story. Anyways, thank you guys so much. Now, on with the story!

* * *

_They ran, quietly as they could, past the shimmering bell jar where the tiny egg was hatching and unhatching, toward the exit into the circular hallway at the fat end of the room. They were almost there when they heard something large and heavy collide with the door Hermione had charmed shut._

"_Stand aside!" said a rough voice. "Alohomora!" _

_As the door flew open, Harry, Hermione, and Neville dived under the desks. They could see the bottom of the two Death Eaters' robes drawing nearer, their feet moving rapidly. _

"_They might've run straight through to the hall," said the rough voice._

"_Check under the desks," said another. _

_Harry saw the knees of the Death Eaters bend. Poking his wand out from under the desk, he shouted, "STUPEFY!" _

_A jet of red light hit the nearest Death Eater; he fell backward into a grandfather clock and knocked it over. The second Death Eater, however, had leapt aside to avoid Harry's spell and now pointed his wand at Hermione, who had crawled out from under the desk to get a better aim. _

"_Avada --" _

"NO!" Hermione sat bolt upright in her bed, drenched in cold sweat. Her breathing was heavy and ragged and her head pounded severely.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Said a groggy voice from the bed beside hers.

"N-Nothing." Hermione said, putting her head in her hands as she tried to calm her breathing.

She'd had that dream again; the dream of the Department of Mysteries. That dream was her most frequent one, but no matter how many times she relived the memory, she still couldn't get over it. She'd always been afraid of the killing curse, Avada Kadavra. It could simply kill her, just like that, and she wouldn't know what had hit her.

Hermione wrenched her sheets and blankets off of her. She peered at the clock beside her bed and read that it was 4:14 a.m. She slipped off of her bed and shivered, the cool air of the room hitting her flushed skin. Looking around the room, the girl saw that Lily had fallen back asleep after her scream, her head poking out from under the top of her comforter.

The brown haired girl stepped to her trunk and picked out some clothing to wear that day; a red halter top and black hip huggers. She then went into the bathroom branched off of the dormitory and turned on the hot water for her shower.

Examining herself in the body length mirror on the back of the door, she noticed that she looked older than before, as if something had dragged her from her childhood maturity to a more adult maturity. Harry and Ron would be furious at the thought of her being more mature than she had already been. Though, the others had grown up to.

With a heavy sigh, she stripped off her clothing and hopped into the shower, the hot water and steam making her nightmare and worries fade away to the back of her mind.

After she was done, she used a absorbing charm on her hair to dry it, then she used another charm to make it straighter. It fell in long, wavy, brown curls, almost like it had on the night of the ball. Looking at her appearance in the mirror, she smiled approvingly, then exited the bathroom.

It was almost five a.m. now and the other girls were just waking up. Lily was sitting up in bed, eyes still closed though obviously awake as she yawned loudly. Alice was stretching in her bed, and Erica was already pulling out her clothing for the day.

"Morning, 'Mione." Lily mumbled as she rubbed at her eyes.

"Morning to you too, Lily." Hermione smiled at her, then sat down at her bed, pulling on a pair of black sneakers.

"What was with--" She yawned again, "you yelling earlier?"

The other girls face flushed slightly and she mumbled, "It was nothing, just a bad dream…"

"Oh, sorry." Lily said, pushing herself off of her bed and flopping down next to Hermione. "Do you have a lot of--" Another yawn, "bad dreams?"

Hermione nodded slightly, looking away from the girl. "It's no big deal though."

Hermione could almost feel Lily frowning at her, but she didn't say anything. When Lily stood up a few minutes later to go get dressed, Hermione busied herself by gathering her school books and putting them in her bag.

She didn't want to draw any attention to herself by making a deal of her nightmares. That was the last thing she wanted. She remembered how when Harry had his visions, the whole school had spoke behind his back constantly. Hermione shook her head, reminding herself that things like that wouldn't happen to her; she wasn't famous as Harry was.

"So, Hermione, how do you feel about starting classes for your first time at Hogwarts?" Alice called out across the room as she stuffed a book in her bag.

"Oh, I'm excited, actually. I can't wait to see how classes are in this ti-- school." She cursed herself for almost saying the wrong thing.

"You'll like it here. The only class you might dislike is Potions, but you'll live through there. Professor Baker is a fair man, surprisingly. You'll love Flitwick and McGonagall though. The Defense professor is a good man too, though he's a bit on the leisurely side and lets most people get away with things." Alice provided, slinging her bag over her shoulder as Lily did the same.

"I imagine I will enjoy it here." Hermione mused, knowing full well she would approve of most of the teachers. "Well, you guys ready to go to breakfast?"

The other three girls nodded and they headed to the door. As they entered the common room, they saw that not too many people had awakened yet, or weren't down in the common area. The girls led Hermione out of the common room and to the Great Hall where they took seats at the end of the table, though Alice branched off after seeing Frank sitting with a group of his friends. Hermione smiled as she watched Frank kiss Alice on the cheek as she sat down next to him.

"They look like a great couple." Hermione smiled, pulling a plate of bacon towards her.

"They are. Alice has been in love with that guy for as long as I can remember." Erica laughed.

"Yeah, I'm just glad they're finally together. I hate when two people are so obviously in love but wont admit to it." Lily said absentmindedly as she took a bite of her pancake.

"Oh yeah?" Erica mused, watching her redhead friend. "I could say a few choice things about that."

"Oh, shut up, Erica." Mumbled Lily as her face turned the shade of her hair.

"Come on, it's obvious that you like James. Just admit it already." Erica rolled her eyes and Hermione grinned as she took a drink of her juice.

Lily gave her friend a look, but Erica just waved it off. "Fine, whatever you say Lily. It'll come out soon, you just wait."

Lily looked embarrassedly at Hermione, who's eyes were shining with laughter. Lily just blushed more and looked down at her food and began eating in silence.

Minutes passed and the girls ate, though Lily kept glancing at the doors they had come through. Hermione knew she was anxious for James to come to eat breakfast, not to mention get his letter.

Lily didn't have to wait long, because soon, four groggy Marauders stumbled into the Great Hall, yawning and obviously not fully awake. They evidently hadn't taken very long getting ready because Sirius' and James ties were on lopsided and their robes were rumpled up.

They spotted the girls sitting down at the end of the Gryffindor table and slowly trudged over to them. Sirius flopped down on the bench next to Erica, James sat next to him, Remus sat down on Hermione's other side, and Peter sat down next to Lily.

"Morning 'Mione.'Lo Lily, Erica." Remus said as he looked sleepily down at his empty plate.

"Good Morning, Remus. Tired?" Hermione asked as she continued to eat her breakfast.

"Yeah. A bit. I'm not much of a--" He unsuccessfully stifled a yawn then continued, "morning person."

"I noticed." She laughed and then she spotted the morning mail coming. "Mail's here."

Lily looked up quickly and scanned through the owls, then spotted one coming straight over to them. She recognized the owl as the one she had sent to James then looked down at her plate as if it were the most interesting thing around.

Hermione watched as the owl flew down and landed on James' shoulder. It stuck its leg out, demanding he take off the parchment attached to it. James' looked at it quizzically then took it and the owl flew off.

"I wonder who this is from." He mumbled. "It isn't mum or dad, they would have addressed it."

"Just open it up and read it." Sirius said, looking over his friends shoulder.

James just shrugged and unrolled it. He looked at the bright green handwriting suspiciously then read it. The further he read, the wider his eyes became. When he finished, Sirius let a wide grin spread across his face and he said loudly,

"Looks like James has a secret admirer."

"We could have guessed that." Remus supplied as he took a bite out of his toast. "He has a lot of 'secret admirers.'"

"Listen to what it says!" Sirius said loudly, taking the letter away from a shocked James. "'Dear James, Oh, how I wish I could tell you this in person, but I'm too shy and scared to do so. Being the person I am, I could never confess anything like this to you in person, not yet anyway. What you are about to read, are the feelings of a lonely girl. James, I want to confess to you the love that I hold in my heart for you, and only you. I long to hold you in my arms, and for you to accept me as I am, and not what you think of me, or what other people say about me. I wish to be the one holding your hand while walking down corridors, and the one that you look forward to seeing every day. I could only hope to be the one that puts a smile on your face. I want to be the one that you would share your secrets with. I love your smile, your humor, the way you are. Everything about you puts a smile on my face. If only you knew who I was and saw me in the same way…"

James was extremely red in the face, and Lily had made it so that her hair fell over her own face, concealing her features. Peter was staring at the letter in awe, and Hermione was trying desperately to keep a straight face. Sirius was having fun now, teasing James who only turned redder.

"Sirius, shut up."

Remus was looking thoughtfully at James, then saw Lily, who's face, even through her hair, could be seen as the same shade of her hair. He looked at Hermione, who grinned innocently then her eyes darted over to Lily, and Remus grinned too.

Hermione looked over at James, who still had Sirius pestering him. She rolled her eyes, then shot at the other dark haired boy, "Sirius, leave him alone. I don't think you'd like someone doing that to you."

"But Hermione, this is James! This is priceless!"

"I don't care. Unless you want me to hex you to next week, I'd leave him alone." She narrowed her eyes, getting the point across to the boy as he shut his mouth immediately.

The rest of breakfast was quiet and awkward, though the majority of the group kept giving Lily and James either curious looks or amused ones.

About fifteen minutes before they had to go to class, Professor McGonagall walked over and handed Hermione her schedule.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you in class, Miss Granger."

"I'm looking forward to it also." Hermione grinned. McGonagall nodded approvingly, then walked away.

"I think we should go ahead and head on to class." Hermione said, eyeing her schedule. "At least I do. Double Potions, first day. I wouldn't want to be late."

"Yeah. We all have to go to potions." Sirius made a face. "Not to mention, we'll be with the Slytherin's."

Hermione rolled her eyes again. "Come on Lily, you can show me the way to the dungeons."

"Okay." Lily hurriedly got up and almost dragged Hermione out of the Great Hall, leaving the boys and Erica to catch up.

When they were out of earshot of the Marauders, Lily squealed exasperatedly. "I think that was a bad idea!"

Hermione laughed. "Nonsense. It's going to work."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me on this one. I believe Remus knows that it was you who sent it, I mean, you were blushing so much, I'm surprised the others didn't see, but if he does know, then he'll definitely make sure that James replies to it." Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"Remus knows!" Lily cried, covering her face with her hands. "This wasn't how it was supposed to go!"

"Remus wont say anything to anyone though. He's a good person, he'll keep your secret." She said to her friend reassuringly.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Alright. I just hope he doesn't let anything slip…" She trailed off, looking behind her as if expecting to see them jump out at her.

"He won't. Now, come on. Lets hurry up."

On the way to the dungeons, they saw a lot of Slytherin's. They all gave them dirty looks, but Hermione and Lily ignored them. When they got to the potions classroom, there weren't many people in there yet. Hermione wasn't surprised to see Severus sitting in his chair with his stuff already out. She gave him a warm smile, and he nodded to her in response.

It might not seem like a friendly way to greet one another, but they both knew what it meant to them. Hermione was glad that Severus was friendly with her, and she was glad he didn't hate her like his future self did. It was surprising to her at how much she felt like she should be his friend. _I can save him from his future… I know I can, even if I'm a bit late, I can make sure nothing too extreme happens._

Her and Lily sat down at the table beside Severus'. It was near the front but not exactly. There were two tables in front of each of their tables. Hermione took out her potions book and a piece of parchment and her quill. Lily followed suit, and they waited for the rest of the class to file in.

In about ten minutes, the whole class had settled in their seats and were talking happily to one another, though the Slytherin's kept giving the Gryffindor's looks. Hermione just smiled at each of the ones that looked at her with distaste and threw them slightly off with her action.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter trooped into the room loudly; it was a wonder that they hadn't gotten in trouble. Sirius was laughing so hard his face was red with the fact that he didn't have enough oxygen in him. James was scowling at his friend and Remus was shaking his head at both of them. Peter was tagging along in the back, unsure of himself and of going into the room full of Slytherin's.

They saw where Lily and Hermione were sitting and James scowled when he spot Severus at the table next to them. It was obvious that he didn't like that arrangement, so him and the other boys took seats behind them.

Hermione rolled her eyes and glanced at Lily who seemed to be annoyed also. Lily looked at Hermione and was about to turn around and tell the boys off when the door flew open and everyone became silent.

She watched as a tall, blonde haired man strode into the room, his robes billowing behind him. Hermione was surprised to see that such a young man would be considered a Professor. He had to have still been in his twenties, younger than Professor Lupin had been when he was hired for the Defense job in her time.

The Potions Professor was young, with blonde hair that hung down to his shoulders. His face was pale, his eyes were a startling blue color, and he spoke with a cool, calm voice. He didn't seem to be like her former professor, who favored the Slytherin's. Hermione had a feeling that she might actually like this teacher.

She watched Professor Baker stride over to the front of the room where a blackboard was. When all eyes were on him, he cleared his throat and said, "Today, we will be learning about the Draught of Peace. Can anyone tell me what it does?"

A few hands went up, including Hermione's, Lily's, and Severus'. Professor Baker called on Lily.

"The Draught of Peace gives the drinker a feeling of peace and well-being, but if overdone it can put the drinker into a deep or even irreversible sleep." She replied simply.

"Very good. Today, you will be brewing this potion with a partner of your opposite house. I will split you all into pairs." He waved his wand at the board and instructions appeared on it. "As you see, instructions are on the board. Now, I'll begin to partner you all up."

Baker split the students up into groups until only Hermione and Severus were left. He looked at them for a moment, thoughtfully, then he told them to pair up. Hermione had no objections and Severus seemed not to mind the rearrangement.

James leaned over towards here and whispered, "I wouldn't trust that slimy git if I were you."

"I'll trust who I want, James. Just mind your own business." Hermione snapped, picking up her stuff and moving over to the table that Severus had been sitting at by himself.

He moved his books aside to make room for her and she smiled. "Morning, Severus."

"Morning." He mumbled back, picking up his quill and began scribbling down the instructions for the potion.

Hermione copied down the instructions also and began preparing for the potion. Severus joined her and soon they had the potion already halfway made.

"You're actually good at potions. I'm surprised. Not many people can do things right in this class." Severus mused.

"Well, I've always been okay at potions. I'm not the greatest though. I'll never be as good as you." She told him, adding powdered moonstone to the potion.

Severus looked at her, his eyes slightly wide at her compliment. She just smiled at him again, then returned her attention to the potion.

The next thirty minutes passed and they had their Draught of Peace finished. Hermione put some of the potion in a vial and then they cleaned up. Severus took the potion to the front of the room and placed it on Professor Bakers desk where he nodded approvingly while Hermione caught the look that the Marauders were giving her; a mixture of shock, anger, and suspicion.

When Severus sat back down, Hermione decided to strike up a conversation. "So, what class do you have next?"

"Transfiguration." He said quietly. "You?"

"I have Defense."

"You'll like that class." He told her. "The teacher there actually knows what he's doing."

Hermione laughed quietly. "I'm glad to hear that. My last defense teacher at my old school was… horrible. She made us read from a book and wouldn't let us do any hands on activities. It was awful."

Severus snorted slightly and Hermione was amused. He then said, "Well, that must have been a whole waste of a year if you couldn't do anything for Defense."

"Not entirely, no." She replied. "My friends and I made a thing that would resemble a type of… club, or group. We called it the DA and my best friend was the teacher. We learned loads from him, so it wasn't a bad year."

"You pretty much trained yourself?"

"Yes. It wasn't too hard. We learned a lot of defense spells, I even mastered my patronus." She said halfheartedly.

"You know how to make a patronus?" Severus asked, shocked.

"Yeah, I do." She said proudly.

"That's advance magic, though…"

"Well… Harry thought it would be best if we learned a few of the more complex spells because… because, well, we weren't exactly in the safest… place." She said carefully, thinking through her words before she spoke them.

"Not the safest place?" He inquired.

"Dark wizards were everywhere." She said quietly.

"Is that why you transferred here?" He asked just as quietly.

"Yeah, it is…" She said, more to herself. It was partially true, because Malfoy had been considered to be on the dark side.

Severus was about to ask something else, but Professor Baker interrupted them. "Okay, class is over. Put some of the potion that you do have done in a vial and set it on my desk before you leave the room. I also want a foot and a half essay explaining the uses of this potion. It's due in a week. Class dismissed."

With that, everyone hurriedly got up, not wanting anything else to do with the people they had been partnered with. Hermione though, wasn't in a hurry. She packed her things alongside Severus, then stood up.

Before Hermione left the room though, Severus stopped her. He looked around hesitantly for a bit, seeing if anyone was in hearing distant, then he asked, "Hermione, would you like to go with me to Hogsmeade next weekend? Just as friends?"

Hermione was stunned by his question at first, then a smile spread across her face. "I'd love to, Severus."

He looked both shocked and relieved. He gave her a small smile, then slipped from the room, Hermione following behind him at a slower pace, reflecting what Severus had just asked her. She was actually quite shocked he'd asked her, but she did want to get to know the younger Severus more. The girl hurried along after a moment, seeing that Lily had stopped up at the corner to wait for her.

"What took so long?" She asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I was talking to Severus." She shrugged.

"What were you talking about?" She replied suspiciously.

"He just wanted to know about Hogsmeade next weekend."

"Oh, well, okay. Follow me, we have Defense next." Lily smiled, then dragged Hermione up to the floor where the classroom was located.

They entered the room and Hermione was pleased to see that it looked similar to what it had when Professor Lupin had taught them. There were shelves that lined the walls, holding what looked like cages. Hermione wondered what where in the cages, knowing it had to be some type of creature.

Lily noticed her looking and smiled. "Professor Ian likes to introduce the class to some of the simpler creatures that we might have to face in our lives. He's a fantastic professor, really. Knows a lot of stuff and he's popular with the students."

Hermione took a seat in the front and Lily sat with her. Lily told her of some of the past lessons. Hermione noticed with disappointment that they hadn't covered a great number of creatures they had. Dementors, Boggarts, and werewolves were some of the few that she knew they hadn't introduced. When Hermione asked about it, Lily smiled broadly and said that they would be learning about boggarts that day.

Hermione frowned a bit but shook off her nervousness. She had already gone up against a boggart before, but she wasn't sure what it would take form as now. She'd seen so much in the past few years that a lot of things terrified her.

Lily noticed her edginess and patted her on the shoulder a bit. "It'll be fine."

"Thanks." Hermione put on a smile, though she felt like anything but smiling.

After a few minutes, more students came into the room. The Marauders were practically the last ones in and Hermione figured that they always came in right before the bell. They all took seats in the back and Hermione caught some of their conversation on their way down the row.

"Well, if I were you, I'd respond to her. You never know who it might be. It could be some hottie." Sirius' was saying to James.

"But I don't want a hottie. I want…" He trailed off, and the others obviously knew what he was getting at.

Remus spoke up, "James, just give it a chance. I have a feeling you wont regret this."

"How do you know? This could be a joke!" James cried out indignantly.

"Trust me, James." Remus said in a serious voice.

Hermione didn't hear anymore of their conversation because just at that moment, the door opened and the Professor walked in.

He looked to be in his late thirties, his brown hair streaked with wisps of grey. He had a kind face, his brown eyes dancing with life as he looked over the class. He clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Good morning class. I hope you all had a great weekend." The class murmured their yes's and no's. He nodded and then looked at Hermione. "Ah, yes, it seems that we have a new student with us. Hermione Granger, I believe?"

"Yes, sir." She smiled at him.

"I'd like to welcome you to my class, Hermione. I hope that you enjoy it here, I try to make the class as interesting as I can. I remember when I was your age, I didn't like it much when all my teachers did was lecture and appoint notes and essays." His eyes were sparkling with merriment as he watched her.

Hermione could only smile. He reminded her so much of her third year professor. "I heard we were doing boggarts today?"

"Ah, you heard correctly." He looked thoughtful for a moment then he clapped again, getting the classes attention once more. "Today, as Miss Granger has pointed out, I told you we would be messing with boggarts today. I'm pleased to say, I was able to get Professor Flitwick to let me erm, _use _the boggart that he had found in his cabinet."

"That's great!" Sirius said loudly. "Can I go first?"

"Calm down Sirius. Everyone will get a chance to go against the boggart but right now, I'd like to go over a bit of information. What is a boggart?"

Hermione and Lily both rose their hands simultaneously. Professor Ian looked at Hermione, then called on her. "Hermione?"

"A boggart is a shape shifter that prefers to live in dark, confined spaces, taking the form of the thing most feared by the person it encounters; nobody knows what a boggart looks like in its natural state. A boggart appears to feed on the emotion of fear rather than simply deploying this ability as a defense mechanism, hence its classification as a Dark creature." Hermione recited from her memory.

"Very good, Hermione. Now, Lily, would you be able to tell us the spell that would be used against a boggart if you encountered one?"

"The accurate incantation to use against a boggart is, '_Riddikulus._' The Riddikulus spell is a simple charm requiring force of mind. The spell requires the caster to visualize his or her worst fear in an amusing or humorous form while reciting the incantation. When performed correctly, this forces the boggart to take on an appearance which will inspire laughter that forms as an efficient defense against the creature."

Professor Ian beamed at the two girls in the front row. "Twenty points to Gryffindor for both of you. Now, I want you all to picture your worst fear in an amusing state. I'll give you all a few minutes to focus."

The class began whispering to one another when Professor Ian turned his back. Hermione sat in her seat, thinking desperately through her mind for what would be her worst fear. She thought of first of her friends dying; that wasn't it. Her family dying, perhaps? No… not it either. She racked her brain, then something popped up and she paled.

"Alright! Now, everyone, stand up and line up over here." Professor Ian motioned for the class to move.

Everyone filed excitedly to the front of the room and the older man waved his wand at their desks so that they all squished together at the back of the room. When there was enough space to work with, he flicked his wand at a cabinet in the corner of the class to make it hover over to the center of the room.

The class murmured in excitement when it rattled slightly, and a few girls gave out nervous squeaks. Lily looked as if she would cry, but Hermione hardly noticed. She felt her knees become weak as she stood a bit ahead of the halfway point of the group. She gulped as the professor motioned a girl from the front forward.

"Alright, Janice, class, repeat after me. _Riddikulus!"_ The class said the charm loudly and then the professor nodded. "Alright, I'm going to release the boggart, Janice, and when I do, you imagine clearly what your worst fear would look like in a humorous scene. Okay, one… two… three!"

He flicked his wand at the door of the cabinet and it shot open. Hermione was amused to see a large dog that reminded her slightly of the grim appear. It was snarling ferociously at the girl and she gave a small squeak before she said the spell, causing the dog to appear in a bright pink tutu. The class burst out in laughter at the dog who stopped in a confused way.

Professor Ian motioned for the boy behind Janice to step forward and when he did, the dog transformed into a giant leech. Girls shrieked and the boy paled visibly.

"Go on, Jared!" The professor encouraged.

The boy lifted the wand, shouting the incantation. The leech suddenly sprouted elephant ears and turned a bright yellow color. Everyone laughed as the ears flapped uselessly on what they guessed was the leeches head. The next few people went up, and the boggart was beginning to get extremely confused.

Lily was before Hermione, and when she stepped up towards the boggart that was currently a large fluffy caterpillar. When she stepped up, her eyes widened when it transformed into a Hellhound.

Hermione breathed in as she saw the three headed dog. This dog looked almost like the one that her, Ron, and Harry had gone up against in their first year, only this one was black. Lily looked horrified at it and froze in her place. The hound-boggart advanced on the girl, and Hermione did the only thing she knew to do; jumped in front of her new friend.

Knowing what she would see, Hermione froze instantly as she watched the boggart slowly shrink to the size of a human. It turned into a boy with untidy black hair, vivid green eyes, wire rimmed glasses, and a lightening bolt shaped scar. The boy watched her with his eyes narrowed.

Hermione gulped as the class behind them murmured and she vaguely caught what they were saying, "That looks like James Potter!" "Is she afraid of a Marauder?" "That's not James, look at the eyes!" "The scar!" Suddenly, before Hermione could even think to respond, the boy began to transform into something that she knew would be terrifying; both to herself, and the others.

The form of Harry changed slowly at an agonizing pace. The body grew taller, paler, and his eyes changed from jade to crimson. His lips thinned to a pale lipped sneer and the boggart flexed in long, skinny fingers. His hair became transparent, and Hermione was soon looking at the future Lord Voldemort. His face thinned remarkably and gave him a gaunt look. His snake-like eyes locked onto Hermione's and she felt as if her very soul were withering at his gaze.

The class behind her gasped and a few girls screamed loudly. Hermione was faint, staring into the eyes of the one person she wished to never see in the past. A cold, cruel cackle escaped the thin lips of the boggart Voldemort. Hermione felt fear rise up in her chest and she wanted to scream. Harry had faced him many times, but Hermione wasn't ready for this. Even if it was a boggart, just the image of the man frightened her to a large extent.

As the boggart Voldemort laughed his cold, piercing laugh, she felt herself shiver involuntarily. The shuffle of the class behind her could be heard as they moved away, though the girl could only vaguely hear it. All Hermione's mind would allow her to think was, _"Harry turned into Voldemort." _

"No…" Hermione said weakly. Her eyes watered and the boggart advanced on her, its long, black cloak sweeping across the tiled floor. Professor Ian was in as much shock as anyone and hadn't made any move to stop it. She looked desperately at the boggart Voldemort, then she closed her eyes tightly, feeling the thin, bony fingers grip her around the neck of her robe.

"Tsk tsk, Granger. I'd have thought better of you. After all you've been through, you're scared of a mere mannequin of me." He let out a low chuckle, pulling the girl closer to him and Hermione opened her eyes wide, fearing that the boggart-Voldemort might reveal something about her that she wanted to keep to herself.

"No." She said shakily.

"No? After nearly killing that dear friend of yours; Ginny, torturing and attempting to kill Harry, killing that Cedric boy, and being the cause of Harry's Godfathers death… I'm surprised you're not one bit scared. Most would be on their knee's, begging me to let them go." He sneered.

"I would never beg anything of you." Hermione spat angrily and felt his grip tighten; unaware of the people in the room who were deadly quiet and were listening to them with fear and fascination.

"Is that so? I guess you're right, _mudblood_. You've been around danger enough in your life. I daresay, the whole sorcerers stone stunt was something I hadn't expected, along with the Department of Mysteries affair. Nearly being killed by a basilisk didn't even keep you from prodding into business that wasn't yours."

"All of those incidents were because of you." She snarled, sounding braver than she felt. "You're a pathetic excuse for a halfblood, Tom."

As she had feared, using his muggle name had caused fury to flash in his eyes. His grip on her robes was now cutting off her oxygen and she gasped loudly. Then, with embarrasment and anger, she realized that this wasn't the real Voldemort. This was only the Voldemort that she feared.

Her eyes narrowed and she pointed her wand at the chest of the boggart. She struggled to take a deep breath, then managed to shout out, "_Riddikulus_!"

The boggart Voldemort stumbled back and with a loud scream, a bright light expanded from his chest, outwards until his whole body was enveloped in the blinding radiance. With a shrill, nonhuman shriek, the light burst forward, and knocked Hermione back onto the floor.

When Hermione opened her eyes after a moment; her vision was blurry and unfocused, but the boggart was gone. Before Hermione could even catch her breathe, the room around her exploded with voices.

"Did you see that!"

"Who was that?"

"She said his name was Tom-"

"Did it say she was nearly killed by a basilisk?"

"What was the deal with the Department of Mys-"

"ENOUGH!" A voice shouted over the students. They all quieted down to see Professor Ian hurrying forward towards Hermione.

She looked at him unfocused for a moment. "I'm sorry Professor."

"Hermione, are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't do anything, I was just shocked to see the--"

"Don't worry, I was being foolish. I should have used the spell before it got out of hand." Hermione muttered, then made to get up but stumbled greatly.

"Hermione, it's okay. Sometimes, when we're too scared, we forget what we are supposed to do." The professor told her kindly as he helped to steady her on her feet.

"Professor… can I go to…" She trailed off, her mind foggy, "the hospital wing?"

"Of course, of course. Someone, give her some help over here." James, Sirius, and Remus quickly stepped forward. "Take her to the hospital wing."

Sirius slipped a shoulder under her left arm and Remus did the same to her right. The three boys helped Hermione out of the room and down the hall, but Hermione couldn't cooperate well.

Her mind was reeling and she couldn't see straight. She figured it was mostly the cause of shock. She was hardly aware of her feet leaving the floor as Remus picked her up and began carrying her to the hospital wing.

"I'm sorry guys." She said numbly.

"Sorry for what?" James asked, kindness evident in his voice.

"For being such an inconvenience to you guys."

"Don't worry about it, 'Mione." Sirius said, looking down at her.

"But I do worry…" She said groggily and closed her eyes, "I worry about… everyone… I don't want him to turn into him.. I don't want…" Before Hermione could finish what she was going to say, she felt herself falling into the pitch black blanket of unconsciousness as it wrapped itself around her body, beckoning her to sleep in its harbor-like depths.

* * *

Meanwhile, Remus stared down at the girl in his arms. She was mumbling, "I worry about… everyone… I don't want him to turn into him.. I don't want…" With a small sigh, the girl became limp in his arms.

"Is she okay?" James asked nervously as they neared the hospital wing.

"She's unconscious." He said quietly, looking down at the paled face of the girl he was carrying. She looked frail and broken in his arms, her breathing slightly ragged.

"What do you think all that was about back there?" Sirius asked even more quietly. "Who was that guy? Who was the other boy who looked just like James?"

"I have no idea…" James said incredulously. "That wasn't me.. There where slight differences between the two of us. I just don't understand though."

"Me neither." Remus said as they walked into the hospital wing.

Madam Promfrey was bustling about the room, organizing random things. She looked up when they entered and her eyes became large when she saw Hermione in Remus' arms.

"What happened here?"

"Well, we were in Defense when she erm… went up against a boggart and after the encounter, she couldn't stand on her own, then on the way here, she fell unconscious." Sirius said timidly.

"Bring her here and sit her on the bed." The nurse ordered and bustled off to her cabinets.

Remus lay Hermione down on one of the many beds in the room. When Madam Promfrey came back, the boys decided to sit down a bit away in some spare chairs. They sat, huddled together and began to talk.

"So… what do you think that boggart meant when he said something about her friends being nearly killed, killed, or tortured?" Remus asked hesitantly, his eyes darting from each of his friends faces.

"I have no clue… Do you actually think that stuff is true though? Hermione hasn't shown us any signs of being…" He trailed off and something dawned on his face. "Remember when she had came into the common room in tears? When we tried to comfort her, she said something about memories. Do you think she was upset because he had been thinking about the… the deaths of her friends?"

"That might be it… though, if I had ever encountered a guy that looked like that, I'd be having nightmares for years." James said sourly, shaking his head.

"I agree. But.. What was that whole thing about the Department of Mysteries? That place has like… high security. There's no way she could have been there." Remus said, thinking hard at that.

"Who knows. Maybe we should ask her when she wakes up…" Sirius looked over at the bed, only to see Madam Promfrey bent over her patient.

"I don't know… maybe bringing that up right after that incident will make her… upset again." James frowned, also turning his gaze to the girls bed.

"Yeah…" Remus murmured.

There was just something about Hermione that he didn't understand. She was different from everyone else, sure, but there was an aura around her that clearly stated that she didn't belong there. She was… diverse from the others he'd been around all his life.

"Hang on, didn't she also say that night that if she told us anything, it might be dangerous?" Sirius suddenly asked.

"She did." James replied, looking at his friend. "Do you think it has anything to do with that scary git?"

"It might." Sirius whispered. "I don't know about you guys, but I want to find out more about this. What if she's in danger?"

"Then… we'll just have to help out as best we can!" James said a little too loudly, earning a scowl from Madam Promfrey.

Remus was quiet for a moment. "Lets just hope we do the right thing and don't screw anything up for her more than what she's having to deal with…."

* * *

A/N: Okay guys, I hope you like that chapter. I made it a bit longer than my others, just because I haven't updated in a while. I'm not too sure about it though, I didn't too much care of how the beginning turned out. I tried to type this in a hurry, so I didn't have much time to reflect on how to type it out. I'm sorry about that, if I have any spare time I'll try to fix the chapter up a bit. Please review, telling me what you think. - Min 


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own any of these characters.**

A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter. It isn't anything special, if anything, it's quite boring. It just has a bit of recap over Hermione's past or future, and then a meeting in Dumbledore's office between Order members. If you don't like this chapter, I'm sorry, but I've been really busy and I had trouble with this chapter, especially since I couldn't sit down long enough to get even four paragraphs in at a time. I'm sorry for the wait, but I've been really busy and exhausted. I'll try to update sooner next time. - Min

**Wally4ever:** I'm glad that you knew it was coming! I haven't really watched much of Gilmore Girls, but I heard it was good. Whenever you do write a fanfic on it, I'll read it if you like. I know the 'super hero Remus' thing was a bit off, but I have to get the story to where he's starting to see Hermione in a different way. I mean, it's only on the third or so day, but it needs to start off somewhere. I'm trying to update as fast as I can, so please stay patient.

**Evil Cat Hater: **Thanks! To answer your first question, the dreams Hermione is having are slightly intentional but they aren't too important. They're considerably just past memories, but there's a bit more to it than just that. Second question, to honestly put it, he gets mixed feelings about her, but it's nothing too drastic. And third… even though that wasn't really a question, yes! I like the character of Professor Ian also, that's why I made him like I did. I don't want him to be like other people make the Defense professors, I hate going with other clichés.

**Amrawo: **Thanks! Hermione will explain the boggart in this chapter because of course, the Marauders will ask her questions and whatnot. There will be more Remus/Hermione action soon, so, just hold on.

**LunaLovegoss: **Thank you! I was hoping that the prophecy and boggart part would go good with my fic. I was sort of skeptical about it all, but I guess it was a good idea, for the most part.

**The-kaiba-heir: **Yay! I know the whole boggart speaking part was a bit odd, but when you read this chapter, I'm pretty sure you'll find out why it did. I'll put an A/N afterwards to explain it if you don't get it.

**Reanne1102: **Thank you! I'm glad that I'm not following all the other clichés, or at least, not to an extent. This story is my first fanfic that I've written, but I have a few others that I've thought of and typed out but never published. I'm hoping I don't get writers block either, but I have a lot of things already planned out, so… I'm just having a bit of problems with this chapter because well, I don't know. Here's the update!

* * *

"She hasn't woken up yet, now please leave. You can come see her in the morning."

"But we want to see her now!"

"Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine, but she needs her rest! She's not awake right now, so she's not fit to see visitors."

"But--"

Hermione heard people talking loudly from somewhere to her right. She tried to focus on who it was speaking, but the voices were disoriented. She scrunched her eyes up against the light of the room and slowly moved so that she could lay on her side.

She felt exhausted and tired but for some reason, she couldn't exactly remember why. Everything seemed foggy in her mind at the moment. Dark images of something involving Harry moved in and out of her mind though just out of reach for her to exactly grasp the fact about him; it wouldn't come to her. Fighting back the urge to open her eyes and look around, she listened to the people in the room.

"But Poppy--"

"Mr. Black, I will not have that today."

"Madam Promfrey, please, just let us see her. We just want to see her, that's all."

There was silence for a bit, then, "Fine, but you have to leave soon. It's almost time for curfew."

There was some muttered thanks and shuffling, then Hermione could hear them move over to her. She opened her eyes slightly to see blurry images of the Marauders walking over to her.

"Hello, guys." She said scratchily after they had all sat down, not noticing she was awake.

She saw Peter jump, but Remus was immediately at her side. "Hermione, are you okay?"

She nodded a bit, feeling anything but fine. She cleared her throat then asked, "What happened?"

There was a bit of silence and then James simply said from her left, "After Defense class, you sort of just passed out. Whatever happened with the boggart got to you I guess."

"Oh.. Yeah, I remember now…" Hermione mumbled, looking up at the ceiling then continued speaking, her voice indifferent, "I suspect that you want answers, huh?"

More silence greeted her, then Sirius said calmly, "Yes, we do want some answers, but if you want to not talk about it right now, you can just tell us later."

Hermione looked tiredly at him, then struggled to sit up. Remus didn't hesitate to help pull her up into a comfortable sitting position, then she cleared her throat again. Before she began telling them anything, she looked around the room, making sure they were alone.

The hospital room was quiet and oddly bright looking because of all the white in it and the cleanness of everything. The boys sat, two on each side of her bed. They all looked at her with eyes full of worry and curiosity. Peter looked so innocent, sitting with his friends. Sirius looked so alive and carefree, and Remus had the air of happiness around him, not like in her time where he was always depressed. James just looked… alive, that's all she could put to him.

The girl averted her eyes from any of their gazes, then took in a deep breath. "I don't care how crazy any of you think I am… but I'm going to say this anyways, whether you believe it or not. Lily already knows and believes me, and she's really all I need if you guys don't trust me. I just want you all to not speak of this to anyone else without my okay. Dumbledore said I was allowed to use my judgment on telling people, and I think this is the right time to tell you all. I have no other way to explain the situation with the boggart without telling you the whole story anyways, and I don't think I could lie to any of you."

When Hermione paused after that, knowing the last part was true and James reached out and patted her on the shoulder encouragingly. "We will trust you Hermione and we won't abuse anything you tell us. We will respect you."

She gave him a small smile. "Alright, well… here it goes." She breathed in, then finished lamely, "I'm from the future."

Everyone was looking at her by that time but when she said that, their eyes remarkably becoming the size of saucers, then they each glanced to one another before taking a double-take of her. The only sound was the shifting of them as they moved in their chairs, and the rustle of clothing against clothing. Hermione just looked down at her hands, refusing to make eye contact with any of them.

It seemed like an eternity that they sat like that. Seconds passed and no one uttered a single word, but Hermione knew that the boys were communicating in their secret marauders' code. She'd seen them earlier that day in the halls, looking at one another in silent speech with gestures that were hardly noticeable.

Hermione suddenly felt very self-conscious. She began to fidget with the hem of her blanket and she bit down on her bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood. The boys must have noticed her discomfort because James was the first to say anything.

"Huh.. Well… that might explain a lot." He said oddly, "I mean… the night that you arrived and… and…"

Hermione let out a small, almost inaudible laugh. There was no humor in it, but all the same, it was a laugh. She knew they didn't know what to say or even believe. Right now, she knew they were fighting a battle with their minds about whether to believe her or not. Brushing aside a curl of her brown hair that had fallen in her face, she looked up and met James' eyes with her own.

"Even if you don't believe that, I still have a right to explain a few things. I trust you all with my life, therefore, I trust you not to tell anyone anything that I'm about to tell you. Are you willing to listen to me?"

"We'll listen to you Hermione." Remus said quietly and reached ever-so-slowly and rested his hand on top of one of hers. Without looking at him, Hermione knew he was blushing fiercely at the gesture he'd just made, but Hermione knew he'd only meant to try to comfort her; and she appreciated it.

Hermione, having been around boys all her life, didn't find it unsettling at the least. Before even registering what she was doing, she turned her hand so that her palm was pressed up against his and entwined her fingers with his, squeezing the boys hand firmly to let him know her thanks. She'd always done things like this with Ron and Harry, so it didn't bother her or even cross her mind as odd. It was a type of comfort to her and her old friends.

Closing her eyes tightly, the girl sighed deeply. "To begin with, I'll tell you this. I'm from the future, twenty years from now. I was attending Hogwarts for my sixth year; just as I am now in this time. On Halloween night, in my time, Professor Dumbledore was holding a Formal Halloween Ball, but during the ball, my… enemy, you could say, got the better of me and cornered me outside by the lake. I was wandless and he took that as an advantage. He tried to hex me that night, but something went wrong and the spell was cast awkwardly. Before either of us knew what was going on, I passed out. When I awoke, I was by the lake in this time. I wasn't aware of anything of course, and well… I had a run in with a few people."

Hermione had said the last of her words in a whisper, giving Remus' hand another squeeze and turning to look him firmly in the eyes. What she saw though, when she turned to look at the boy, didn't surprise her much.

Fear, hurt, and confusion swirled around in his blue eyes. His face was paler than usual, and he was shaking slightly, unnoticed by any of the other boys, but she knew. Hermione knew what the russet haired boy was thinking; it was obvious to her.

"Remus, I don't care about that." She whispered, her eyes locking onto his. "It doesn't matter what you are, it's who you are that matters."

The boy had been trying to avert his eyes from hers, but when she said that, he just seemed to freeze in place. The look on his face now was of surprise and even more confusion, but also of relief. Hermione gave him a reassuring smile; a warm and friendly one.

"I'm guessing you know us in the future then?" Sirius asked after being silent for a long time.

It was Hermione's turn to become pale. She tore her eyes away from Remus' and looked at the other boy. "I know the majority of you, to some extent." She replied carefully.

"To some extent?" Peter finally spoke from beside Remus.

"Yes. You'll have to remember, in my time, you all are twenty years older. I've been acquainted with most of you and my best friend is--" She snapped her mouth shut before saying any more.

"Who's your best friend?" Peter asked her, speaking up for the second time.

Hermione was silent for a moment, then thoughtfully removed the locket from around her neck. She never took it off unless she had to. She opened it up and looked down at the pictures of her three best friends in her time. They were all waving and smiling up at her. Tears sprung up in her eyes and she smiled fondly at the pictures. She then leant over and handed the locket over to James. "James' son is one of my best friends. There he is, in the picture with the girl."

James' eyes nearly popped right out of his head as he peered at the picture at his son. They looked almost identical except for the eyes and nose. Hermione couldn't help but let out a choked laugh, watching Harry's father stare into his sons face.

"Is this real?" James asked shakily, not taking his eyes off of the picture.

"It is, James. Gods, I miss him so much…"

Sirius took the locket from his best friend and examined it. "Blimey, this bloke looks just like James! Except for the eyes, those look… oddly familiar."

Remus reached over and took the locket from Sirius and gaped at the picture for a moment, then despite his earlier reactions to everything he'd been told, he let out a snort of laughter and Sirius, who was now red in the face from trying to hold in his laughter but couldn't anymore, laughed loudly and nearly fell out of his chair."

"James has a son!" He managed to cry out, holding onto his right side.

"Yes, he does." Hermione retorted, though secretly, she was hiding a smile.

"You hear that Pronsie? You have a son!"

James was apparently still in shock. "I can't believe it… I have a son."

Hermione nodded. "His name is Harry."

James smiled slightly, then said to himself. "Harry… Harry Potter."

When he said that, the girl looked down at her hands again. A single tears fell down her cheek at the mention of her friends' name but there was a slight upturn of her lips. Still looking at her hands, she tried to keep her voice calm. "Harry James Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Evans."

There was a shocked silence that followed her words. She knew that saying that would shock them, seeing that Lily seemed to _hate_ James.

"L-Lily?" James blurted out after a few minutes.

"Yes, Lily." Hermione flashed him a watery smile. "I was shocked to see how much she _hated _you when I first came here, but she obviously doesn't hate you as much as she acts. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gotten married."

"Married!" James cried out and actually did fall out of his chair.

"What did you expect, Prongs? That you'd have a kid but not get married?" Remus said, laughter evident in his voice.

Harry's father sat up, his head now visible over the side of the bed. He had a huge grin on his face by now. "It's just a shock to hear that, and with Lily!"

Everyone laughed, even Hermione. After they had quieted down, Sirius looked at Hermione with a huge grin. "I suppose that his son is just like him, eh? A troublemaker, no doubt."

He was about to continue, but his mouth shut when he saw the sadness that resided in the brown haired girls eyes. She tilted her head to the side, not looking at any of the Marauders now, but at the wall opposite of her. "Honestly, to say the least, Harry is a troublemaker… but only to a certain degree. Things happened in his life that have left his scarred. He doesn't have the same carefree attitude that James has. His is more cautious and disheartened. He never had a normal childhood. He's too mature for his age."

"What do you mean things have happened in his life to leave him scarred?" James demanded, his eyes flashing dangerously. Sirius was right beside him, demanding what had happened to his best friends son.

Hermione flinched a bit at the demand, then her eyes flickered over to Peter. He wasn't looking at her, but at James. The other boys however, saw her gaze and all looked at the shorter boy. He was surprised by the action, and involuntarily let out a small squeak.

Hermione shook her head roughly and said in a strained voice, "When Harry was a baby, Voldemort tried to kill him." Everyone shuddered or flinched when she said the Dark Lord's name as they once again glued their eyes on her, but she set her jaw firmly and continued. "After numerous events that had happened, Voldemort had attacked Harry, but when he cast the killing curse at him, it rebounded onto him and left him broken. People claimed that he had died, but some claimed he was still alive, bidding his time somewhere and in truth, he was. He wasn't gone, not entirely, but he wasn't human."

"Wait, what do you mean? And why was he after James' son?" Sirius asked, clearly confused.

"There was a prophecy," She began, knowing it would take a while to explain everything, "The prophecy spoke of a boy that would have powers that the Dark Lord knows not, and to be rash, it pretty much said that that boy would be the only person who could defeat Voldemort. The boy that the prophecy speaks of just so happened to be Harry, your son. So of course, Voldemort wanted to get rid of him, not wanting any chances of the boy growing up and defeating him--"

"But where were Lily and I at the time?" James interrupted.

The girl looked warily at the boy that had cut her off. "I can't say that right now. I don't want to, actually. I could, but I wont."

"Why?" Sirius inquired, suspicious of the girl in the bed in front of him.

"Because, I don't want to put too much on any of you. There's a lot that happens in your futures that could leave one, if not all of you, scarred. Anything I say can hurt all of you emotionally." She said bitterly.

"You can go ahead and tell us." He replied stubbornly.

"I don't want to. There's a few things that I can keep to myself for the time being. You can't force me to say anything that I don't want to." She shot at him, causing him to look as if he was about to jump on her and strangle her until she told them. "Now let me continue my story. As I was saying, Harry caused Voldemort to disappear for twelve years (A/N: I think that's right), and Harry started school at Hogwarts. I met him in my first year, and it really was by surprise that we became friends. Him and Ron, my other best friend, the other one in the locket," She pointed Ron out and the boys passed the locket around, "both thought I was a stuck up know-it-all and would actually make fun of me. I had no friends for a long time. Halloween night in our first year, some things happened and I was cornered by a mountain troll. Harry and Ron showed up and knocked it unconscious and we soon became friends. We were practically inseparable after that." Hermione flashed the group a smile. "We were almost like you Marauders, except, we were the Golden Trio."

The Marauders looked at her with surprise, but they smiled back. "Did you guys get into a lot of trouble?"

"You could say that, but we were usually able to get ourselves out of the trouble we put ourselves in." She grinned cheekily at the boys.

Remus, still thinking over what she said, asked, "How did your friends defeat a mountain troll in their first year? I mean, that's nearly impossible, even for some adults."

"I guess it was just luck." The girl answered with a shrug. "I was lucky though. If they hadn't shown up, I would have died most likely, but to be honest, it _was_ their fault that I was in trouble."

"How so?" James asked. He had long since crawled back into his chair.

"Well, like I said before, they would make fun of me. They had just said a few harsh things that day about me and I overheard them. I had hid in one of the bathrooms and well… that's where I got cornered." She smiled slightly, a small blush spreading across her cheeks.

Sirius laughed, and James smiled. Remus was a different story though. He didn't think any of it was funny. Peter looked at her in awe, like he would his other friends. Hermione looked at the boy with sadness, but she smiled at him and he smiled shyly back at her.

"Well, the mountain troll doesn't explain what happened in my son's life." James said thoughtfully, stroking his chin while looking at Hermione. "What else happened?"

The girl shifted a bit in her hospital bed. "During that year, some things were going on that my friends and I thought were a bit suspicious. Dumbledore was hiding something that only the teachers knew about. I was skeptical about everything that Harry and Ron claimed, but curiosity got the better of me in the end and we became determined to find out what was happening. Our accusations were off but we did save the Sorcerers Stone from Voldemort that year. We had to go through a lot of things, like devils snare, flying keys, a giant game of chess, and deadly potions. Harry had to face Voldemort on his own though, but Harry won the battle." She smiled fondly at the memories. "Then second year came, and The chamber of secrets was opened."

"What? That's just a myth!" Sirius said incredulously.

"Actually, it's not. Its real. During our second year, strange things started to happen. Kids were soon attacked by something that left them petrified as stone. I myself was attacked." She gave a lopsided grin at another memory and the boys stared at her in shock. "I didn't get to see the final battle, but what I was told, Harry and Ron went down into the chamber with our Defense professor to save Ron's sister, Ginny, the other one in the locket, but Ron got stuck with the professor who'd had his mind erased from a backfired spell. Harry had to go into the Chamber of Secrets without Ron and found Ginny, but was attacked by the monster; a basilisk. He fought it and killed it with a bit of help from Fawkes, and then had to go up against Voldemort again. It wasn't really Voldemort, it was really just memories of Tom."

"Tom? You said that earlier in Defense. You called that the boggart guy Tom." Remus cut in, looking frantically at Hermione. "Don't tell me that that guy the boggart turned into was Voldemort…"

Hermione looked at him sadly. "I'm afraid that it was; his future self."

"You can't be serious? That guy is terrifying." James said seriously and shuddered as the image of Voldemort flashed across his mind.

"I'm serious. Voldemort is… well. He's not human, or, wasn't at the time. Things changed though. Our third year didn't have anything to do with Voldemort but some important things happened, and that's where I met three of the infamous Marauders." Hermione smiled at them as they looked up at her eagerly.

"How?" They all asked in unison.

Hermione stared down and plucked at her white sheet before responding. "Every year, we had a new Defense professor, and it just so happened that the one for our third years' name was Professor Lupin."

Everyone's eyes moved to Remus and he looked at Hermione, shocked. "You knew! That's why you said on the way to the library that you had a feeling that I would be a Defense teacher! You knew the whole time…"

"Of course and to tell you the truth, you were the best DADA teacher that Hogwarts ever had. You were everyone's favorite teacher, apart from the Slytherin's, and Severus was furious that you'd gotten the job."

"Snape? You mean Snivellus? What was he doing there?" Sirius asked apprehensively.

"_Severus_ is the potions teacher in my time." Hermione replied airily.

"That greasy git became a professor!" Peter, James, and Sirius cried out at the same time.

"He's a good professor, except for the fact that he favors the Slytherin's." The girl told them truthfully.

"No surprise there." Muttered Peter under his breath, surprising everyone in the room.

They all ignored his comment, and Remus spoke to Hermione. "You said you met three of us Marauders. How'd you meet Peter and Sirius?"

Hermione winced inwardly, knowing that they assumed she knew James because she was friends with his son. "The second one I met was Sirius but I met Peter shortly after. But… honestly, some horrible things had happened and well… I don't wan to talk about it. This is better left untold." She looked sadly at Sirius and Peter, trying to get them to understand.

"It couldn't be anything that bad, could it?" James questioned.

"It's just a major part in history that I wouldn't like to say. Even though I'm here to change some things, that doesn't mean I should change everything and with the information I have, it could easily hurt you all." The girl said sullenly. "Please understand and respect that. You don't know how hard it is for me."

All of the boys nodded despite their feelings and motioned for her to continue.

So, Hermione threw herself into a long, painful story of everything that had happened between her third year and the beginning of her sixth year but excluding the events of the Marauders. By the time she was done with that part, her throat had become rather hoarse and the boys were looking at her in shock.

"All of you went through that? That's just… That's just…" Sirius stuttered, not being able to find the words for it.

"Horrible." James whispered. "Hermione, we're sorry. I don't see how you can keep so much of this inside of you without going crazy."

Hermione looked gratefully at the boy. "That's why I… I have nightmares. I'm glad you understand."

Remus gave her an apologetic look and squeezed her hand gently. She looked at him appreciatively before continuing with her story. "Now… going back to what originally started this conversation; the boggart. What happened earlier today in class is actually quite simple; to me anyway. First, the boy you saw the boggart turn into first would be James' son, Harry but you also saw Voldemort transform from Harry. The only reason it did that is because I'm scared that Harry will turn out like Voldemort. Because of everything he's been through, he's gone into depression. He blames himself for so much and he is mad at the world most of the time. That's how Tom was, before he became the Dark Lord."

"So, you mean that Harry might turn out _like _You-Know-Who?" James asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes… Dumbledore is or was… or will be," Hermione said exasperatedly, not being able to get her tenses right, "worried about him too. That's only part of the deal with the boggart, sadly. The boggart today also began to reveal pieces of my past, as you know by it speaking. Boggart's don't usually speak, as you probably know. My fear for people finding out what and who I am is equal to my fear of Harry becoming like Voldemort and that's actually a lot…"

Everyone in the room seemed to wear the same expressions on their faces. It was a mixture of sadness, understanding, confusion, and also fear. That unnerved Hermione the most; fear.

"Please, give me your word, all of you, that you won't tell anyone about this."

"We wont. You have our word." All four of them whispered.

"Well… I hate to just usher you all away, but I'm really tired now, and I think it's time for us to go to sleep. It must be past curfew and I don't want any of you getting in trouble. I'm surprised Madam Promfrey hasn't come to get you guys out yet." Hermione told them and let herself fall backwards on the soft hospital bed.

"Yeah I guess you're right, 'Mione." James told her and stood up. Soon, all of the followed suit. James went over to Hermione so he could look her strait in the face. "Thanks for trusting us with this. We respect everything you said, and we wont let anything slip."

Hermione gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you all trust me."

James returned the smile and hugged her tightly before leaving. Sirius came over to Hermione next and hugged her firmly, the way Harry used to hug her. After saying goodnight, he joined James out the door and it was Remus' turn to stand next to Hermione.

"Hermione…"

"Yes, Remus?" Hermione looked up at the boy with heavy lids, knowing sleep was going to envelop her soon.

"I-I want to thank you f-for not being disgusted at me for what I am." He stuttered, Looking down at his feet.

"Why would I be disgusted with you, Remus?" Hermione questioned tiredly, reaching out and taking his hand into hers again. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

He looked at her, sadly. "Hermione, most people are scared of werewolves. You're the only girl who knows what I am, besides my mum and the professors. I figured you would have been appalled of me…"

"Remy, trust me, if I was appalled by you, I wouldn't be holding your hand right now." Hermione mumbled as her eyes closed.

She hadn't realized she'd called him 'Remy' but the boy obviously noticed. His face flushed a dark red color and he gave her hand a slight squeeze. "Thank you…"

He slowly let go of her hand and Hermione opened her eyes a bit to see him turn around and leave. Peter was now the only boy left in the room. He moved towards her hesitantly and stood quietly beside her bed.

Hermione gave him a smile. "Goodnight Peter. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow?"

His eyes darted from her to the door where his friends had left. "Y-Yeah.. Goodnight, Hermione."

Before Hermione could say anything else, he dashed out of the room. With a sigh, Hermione thought over everything she'd told them that day. She hoped she hadn't told them too much but there was no way to tell if she had or not. Hermione closed her eyes again and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In Dumbledore's office the next morning, there was a small crowd of people cluttered around the Headmaster's desk. Professor McGonagall, MadEye Moody, a remarkably younger Arthur and Molly Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, and of course, Dumbledore himself, were discussing the whereabouts of Voldemort.

"I think he might be residing somewhere to the west of Surrey." Mr. Potter proclaimed.

"Yes, there were a few sightings of known Death Eaters around there." Mrs. Potter informed.

"Seeing Death Eaters around there doesn't mean much." Grumbled Moody while staring down into the pensive that Dumbledore had acquired and was now sitting on his desk.

"But it's a good chance." Mr. Potter declared. "It's better than just going around doing nothing. Even if he isn't there, then there is still a chance of getting a hold of a few of those Death Eater's."

McGonagall looked at Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his desk with his wand prodding at the silvery substance inside the pensive. "Albus, what are we going to do? We know nothing at the moment, and it'd be stupid if we just walked blindly into trap. Last time we 'spotted' Death Eaters somewhere, it had been a ruse."

"Yes, yes, I remember Minerva. Don't fret, though. I actually have an announcement to make, and I believe that what I have to say, and show you, will provide a large amount of information." Dumbledore said, looking up at each individual in the room with twinkling eyes.

"What ever do you mean, Albus?" Mrs. Potter asked.

"What I mean…" Dumbledore began, then stood up slowly, his wand now moving about in the pensive counter clock wise. "That we have someone that can tell us things about Voldemort that no one else knows, not even Voldemort himself."

"Do you mean you found an _actual _seer?" McGonagall demanded.

"No, Minerva. Not a seer." The older man looked up at Minerva. "You remember Miss Granger, I assume?"

"Wait! Albus, you can't be serious! She's just a child!" McGonagall took a step back, bewilderment etched across her face. "That child can't know that much!"

"Actually, Miss Granger has faced more than what half of the members of the Order in this time have been up against." Dumbledore motioned for the confused group to move closer to his desk. "Here was a brief meeting I had with the child, everyone, in you get."

Everyone in the room hesitated for a moment, then they all, one by one, plunged into the pensive. They landed in Dumbledore's office and the Headmaster himself was sitting behind his desk. There was a knock on the door, and the entire group turned when the pensive-Dumbledore told the person to come in.

A sixth year student stepped into the office, fear clearly visible on her face. She was wearing a lavender colored dress, though there were spots of dirt on the fabric and on the girl herself.

"Why is the girl dressed like that?" Mrs. Potter asked quietly as she stood by her husband.

"Alas, this is right after she appeared in this time." Dumbledore said, indicating the girl.

"_Erm… Professor Dumbledore…" _The brown haired girl began, catching everyone's attention.

"_Sit down and explain why you're here at such a late hour, Miss….?"_

"_Professor, it's me, Hermione.. Hermione Granger…"_

"_Miss Granger, I'm sorry to say.. I don't know who you are."_

"_But… what…." _The girl sat down. _"I don't know what's going on…"_

"_Miss Granger, please, kindly explain what has happened."_

The Order members stood quietly, listening to the girls explanation. Mrs. Potter was looking at the girl in awe, her eyes large and mouth slightly open. Moody looked calm, though by the way he watched the pair in front of him, it was obvious he was curious. Mr. Potter seemed the same as Moody, and McGonagall looked at the girl in complete shock.

Molly and Arthur watched the girl apprehensively as she told her story and Molly nearly fainted when she told the part about the werewolf.

"_Miss Granger, I believe you have gone back in time twenty years."_

"_What! What do you mean I've gone back in time twenty years?"_

"_I believe that when mister Malfoy hit you with his misshapen spell, it sent you back in time. That is my theory from what you have told me. I did feel a slight alteration in time not too long ago and I suppose that was you arriving in this time, Miss Granger. I know what you will be asking me soon though, and no, I do not know how to get you back to your own time…--"_

Professor Dumbledore looked at the others. "So you see, she had came here the night of Halloween. I looked through her mind, and was pleased to see that everything she had told me was true and that I could trust her. Now, onto the next meeting I had with her."

The scene around them switched slightly, fading and then reappearing clearly. Dumbledore was standing by his office door, talking to someone outside.

"_Professor, I need to talk to you. About some.. Things."_

"_Well, Miss Granger, I was going to speak with you in the morning about some things also, but since you're here already, have a seat. Now, first off, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"_

"_Sir… I know I'm being stupid about all of this, but I can't figure a way to get out of these situations I've been putting myself in. Since I came here yesterday, my memories have been… more perceptible in my mind. My past, or future, whatever you want to consider it, is haunting me more than it had before. I have the chance to change everything, but I can't. I've already had a breakdown, and I was hardly able to abstain myself from telling the Marauders about their future…"_

"_Ah, Miss Granger, this is along the subject I wanted to talk to you about. I have a friend, who is an Unspeakable at the Department of Mysteries. I sent him an owl yesterday evening after you came and spoke with me about your problem. He, that is to say, the Unspeakable, has told me about a recently discovered prophecy. He told me that the prophecy had said, 'One from the time yet to come shall slip into the past of which the reign of the Dark Lord shall be at one of its weakest. Thereafter, the chosen will have to seek out the Lord and his followers to diminish the darkness that will plague our lives in the future. The chosen, and only the chosen, will come to us and change what will be the future.'"_

"_I don't understand, Sir…"_

"_Of course, I hardly understand it myself. I had a brief meeting with the Unspeakable today, and we were discussing the matter. He came up with the conclusion that you are the chosen one that the prophecy speaks of. We cannot be sure of that though, but it is the best we could come up with." _

"_Sir… if this prophecy is meant for me, does that mean… I'm allowed to change the future?"_

"_Indeed, that is what the prophecy has pointed out."_

The whole group listened intently at the explanation before Arthur asked, "So this child is destined to kill You-Know-Who?"

"Yes, sadly." Dumbledore concluded. "But Miss Granger is determined, I can tell. See?"

"_I'm willing to do… whatever it takes to help out in the future. I don't want what has happened to happen again. If I can, I will save Harry from all the torment he has witnessed, I will save Sirius and the Potters, I will--" _

"_What is this about the Potters?"_

"What about us!" Shrieked Mrs. Potter.

"Do not get upset, just listen." The Headmaster looked at her sadly. "She will explain."

"_I guess.. I guess since I'm here to change the future… I can tell you. In a few years, Voldemort will have come to stronger power than he is now, but that is logical. He targets the Potters, and goes to see them about this time in the year. At that period, James and… Lily will have gone into hiding with their son, Harry. They will make Sirius secret keeper but at the last minute, there was a change in positions. Sirius chose someone else to take on the job, knowing that Voldemort would target himself by knowing he'd be chosen for the situation. The person that Sirius had switched with… was on Voldemort's side and sold the Potter's to him. That night, Voldemort came to them, as I said, and killed James." _

"NO!" Mr. Potter had to grab his wife to keep her from falling over. "No! She has to be lying!"

"_After James was out of his way, he advanced on Lily. He wanted to kill their son, that's why he was there. Lily protected her son, gave her life away to save him. Because of that, when Voldemort turned his wand on Harry to use the Avada Kadavra curse, it backfired on him, leaving him nothing more than a broken… spirit, perhaps that would be the word for it. He disappears for thirteen years after that…"_

"_So, he targets the Potters because of their son?"_

"_Yes, sir. He doesn't stay gone though, he does return. Harry had to go up against him four times since he started at the future Hogwarts. I was there with him the last time… because he was after the prophecy that would be the weapon to killing Harry. I don't want it to happen again, Professor. Many innocent lives will be taken because of what happens. I want to stop it if I can…"_

"Albus, this can't be true?" Snapped McGonagall from where she stood.

"I'm afraid it is." Dumbledore looked over at the Potters. "Emily, please calm down. There is something important here. Hermione is here to change what will be the future, and in the process, it's up to _her_ to kill Voldemort. By doing so, your son and his family will be left alone."

"Are you sure Albus?" The teary eyed woman responded, wiping at her eyes. "My son will be left alone?"

"Yes, that is what I gather. This girl is the link to winning this war. She has witnessed many things in her life, along with her friends and is not afraid of Voldemort. Indeed, she even says his name…"

Everyone flinched, like they had been doing all night. "But Albus, this child can't actually defeat You-Know-Who!" Molly said exasperatedly. "I won't have it!"

"Molly, there is nothing you can do about it. It's fates choice, not ours. She is old enough to make her decisions, and I daresay from what she told me that her and her friends have been up against, this will just be like everything else for her."

"I hope you know what you're doing Albus." Molly cried, waving her arms in the air wildly. "Children shouldn't have to do this!"

"This is her choice, actually. She said she wanted to, and I'm allowing her to do so. As a matter-of-fact I'll allow her to tell you herself. She is in the hospital wing at the moment, but after Poppy allows her to leave, then I will have her come down here and introduce herself." Dumbledore's eyes held a mysterious twinkle. "And Molly, I have reason to believe that in her time, she knows both you and your husband."

"What?" Molly shrieked, surprised by what the Headmaster had said.

"Molly, don't get too worked up." Arthur said nervously.

"It's just a shock, Arthur. Someone who knows things about us but we know nothing about them. It's just… it's just… outrageous!" She huffed.

"I believe you all will actually be quite pleased with Miss Granger. She is a responsible youth." Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

"I don't doubt that, that of all people, a child has to defeat him." Minerva sighed.

"Yes, well I believe it is time to return to my office."

Everyone soon found themselves back in the present Headmasters office. Conversation broke out at once and Dumbledore sat down at his desk. _Alas, this will be a long year…_ he sighed.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and everyone hushed. Dumbledore smiled. "I believe that would be Miss Granger."

* * *

A/N: Blah. This chapter really did turn out horribly. I'm hoping my next chapter will be loads better, but I have been doing so much lately that I think I'm going to literally kill over. Please, read and review if you want. Thank you guys for your patience.

I also have another story that I've decided to write. This story will pretty much be set after Harry's sixth year, but I'm going to act like the sixth book never came out. The fanfiction is going to be pretty hurried at the beginning, where Harry has his last battle with Voldemort, then goes into hiding after he defeated him in fear of being thrown into Azkaban or also in fear of being idolized for the rest of his life. During the battle, his appearance changed, so now, instead of the raven haired boy we all know, he is now winter-haired boy! (A/N: He has white hair. Something happend and it pretty much stripped his hair of all color.) So... he has a new look and he tries to disappear from the life he knows, but he can't hide forever, and everyone starts to get a clue that he's still alive. It doesn't sound to interesting, but I'm hoping to actually make it interesting. So, I'll be typing for two stories now, so it might take longer to update, depending on if I can get onling more. I wont be publishing my next fanfiction until I have a few chapters written, so I'll post on here when I do publish it in case anyone wants to read it. - Min


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own any of these characters.**

A/N: Oh wow, you guys are wonderful. I'm glad you all are understanding with the updating, and I'm sorry if I'm being batty about anything. I've just been having a really rough month. But moving on, I'd like to say thank you to all of my reviewers. They actually put me in a better mood before I start typing the new chapters! I'm also putting out my first chapter for my newest story, Phoenix in Hiding. If anyone reads it and likes it, please review or tell me in some way so I know if I should continue it. I have another chapter for it already typed out, so I'll wait and put that out until tomorrow or the day after. Anyways, I suppose I'll get onto the story! - Min

**Reanne1102: **Hermione isn't going to tell them everything just yet. The Marauders will eventually find out and since James' parents know about James' future, it will be hard for him to erm… not know?

**Bookworm: **Thank you! I am going to finish this story, those are my intentions. I don't think I could abandon my writing, even if I do get writers block of anything. I do have a few stories in my mind that I would like to write out as fan fiction, and I actually put out the first chapter of my newest one. Just read the A/N above and you'll know where to find it. The story goes a bit fast in the beginning, because I wanted to go ahead and get some things out of the way, so yeah. It's not the best chapter one in history. ; )

**the-kaiba-heir: **Thank you. I agree with the long explanation speeches. I'm just not gifted into making those sound that great. I do try though, and I'm hoping to make them better. I just don't think I'm that great at uhm, long descriptions.

**Wally4ever: **Thanks. I hope everything goes smoothly with the braces thing and all. I never liked braces… but that's just me. Anyways, here's the much wanted update, I think. Enjoy!

**Caitlyn: **Thank you! I really can't stand MWPP stories where someone goes back in time and have a peculiar hate towards Peter and/or Severus. I can see why sometimes, but it just gets annoying how some people go all out and just make fun of them. I agree with how the time aspect is confusing, I find myself at a loss sometimes whenever I try to type something out that deals with the date or… something. I try to update at least once or twice a week, maybe more. I can't really stand some stories that only get updated once a month. It just kills me, unless the person has more than two or three more stories that they are updating. I wont forget about this story!

**Thank you: **amrawo, Mandalen, Que Bonita, LoveroftheTwins326, Parvatti, BeckiSoup, Torri-Chiobie, and SpikesDreamer!

* * *

**Previous:** _Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and everyone hushed. Dumbledore smiled. "I believe that would be Miss Granger."_

* * *

Knock. 

Knock.

Knock.

"Come in." Dumbledore said pleasantly.

The Order members hushed and looked expectantly at the door. It opened slowly and a girl shuffled into the room. She hadn't looked up yet, so she was unaware of all the people around the office.

"Good Morning, Miss Granger."

"Morning Sir." She replied, then looked up. Her eyes became large and she stood rigid in front of the door.

"Not to worry, everyone here is part of the Order."

"Sir, you said you would tell me when--"

The Headmaster cut her off. "I'm aware that I told you when the meeting would be, but you came here on your own invitation." His eyes sparkled with mirth as he watched a blush form along her cheeks.

"Sorry." Hermione mumbled. "I just got out of the hospital wing and I'm a bit… erm…"

"Ah, yes, I know what Poppy can do to one." He mused, then looked around the room. "Miss Granger, I'd like to introduce you to some people. Some faces might seem familiar, others might not. This here is Alaster Moody. He's one of the best Auror's that I know."

Mad-eye Moody walked over to her and extended his hand out to her. Hermione looked at him and obviously noted the differences. He didn't have a wooden leg yet, but he still had his magical eye swiveling in its socket. His nose was fully in tact and there weren't so many scars on his face.

Hermione shook his hand and smiled up at him. "Nice to see you again."

Moody looked slightly taken aback but he just grunted before moving back to his original spot. Dumbledore continued, "These two over here are Harold and Emily Potter."

"Hello." Hermione had replied, shaking each of their hands in turn. Mrs. Potter had been a bit reluctant, but had shook hands anyway.

"Of course, you know Professor Minerva McGonagall." The Headmaster implied and the Deputy Headmistress nodded in assent. "And this other couple you see over to your right would be Arthur and Molly Weasley."

They all watched as the girl in front of them whipped around and stared at the Weasley couple. Shock and surprise were evident on her face but her eyes showed something that they hadn't expected; sadness and something that resembled pain.

Molly realized this though and moved forward hesitantly. "You alright dear?"

The girl, Hermione, nodded but couldn't seem to be able to say anything. She just stared wide eyed at the couple and she began to tremble under their stare.

Dumbledore became alarmed by this and stood up. He walked around his desk towards Hermione and looked into her eyes. Everyone was confused for a moment before they realized he was using legilimency on her.

After what seemed like a forever of everyone casting nervous glances at the Weasley's, Hermione, then at Dumbledore, the Headmaster pulled back away from Hermione and smiled at the confused couple.

"Nothing to be worried about, she's just having a bit of a shock at the moment. From viewing her mind, I realize that one of your sons will become a great friend of hers. She misses him greatly, so she's a bit… confused." Dumbledore shook his head and smiled at Hermione who looked up at him nervously.

"Sorry Professor, I was just… yeah, confused." She said lamely, looking down at the floor.

"That's quite all right." Dumbledore said cheerfully then sat back down behind his desk. "So what brought you here, Miss Granger?"

"Oh. I wanted to speak with you about some things that I noticed wrong with me." She said quietly, her voice almost indistinct in everyone.

"Wrong?"

"Yes. Well, I know it sounds stupid, but sir, I don't have a shadow." The brown haired girl replied quickly.

"No shadow? Hm." Dumbledore looked at Hermione thoughtfully before continuing. "That could prove to be a bit of a standoff against trying to fit in here. Do you have any theories of why this happened?"

The girl in front of him nodded and decided to take a seat. "My theory is that as I came here through time, my shadow became stuck in the future. As everyone knows, a shadow is partial darkness or obscurity within a part of space from which rays from a source of light are cut off by an interposed opaque body. The problem is, I moved through time but not space. I was in the exact same place as I had been before I arrived here from my time, so I hadn't exactly moved at all. That's the glitch. A shadow is within _space_. I technically do not exist here, except, well, I am here and since I don't precisely exist, I have no shadow."

Everyone but the Headmaster stared at the girl as if she were crazy. Dumbledore merely chuckled and sat back in his seat. "Miss Granger, I do believe you've got that correct. Since you do not precisely exist with us here in this time, you will not take on the full structure as we do."

"I know, sir. That's a problem though, because if I'm here to change the future, then what will happen to me when I'm finish? Surely I can't return to a world that I have no idea of. I might not even be born in my time now since I've already altered some of the past. If I'm not complete here, and I'm not complete there, then what am I going to do in the end? Something without a shadow theoretically does not exist in the world, therefore, I cannot be present." Hermione said quickly, tears visible in her eyes now.

Dumbledore was stumped, for once, about what the girl had said. She was right though, and astonishingly accurate with the theory. For the first time, the Headmaster was at a loss of what to say.

* * *

Hermione watched as Dumbledore became quiet, not saying anything. She knew he was thinking everything she had said over in his mind, but there was something else in the older mans posture that unnerved her. What was it? Uncertainty? Confusion? 

The girl shook her head. It wasn't time to try and figure someone's emotions out. She was having enough trouble keeping her own in check. The biggest emotional shock though, was seeing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm going to have to look into that," Dumbledore said calmly, "because for once, I'm at a loss at what to tell you. I'll get back to you on that, Hermione. Until then, is there anything else you'd like to share with me?"

Hermione gulped. She had intended to tell him everything that she'd told the Marauders but she wasn't sure if she wanted to now. "Professor, I'm guessing you heard about the incident with the boggart yesterday--"

Dumbledore put a hand up to silence her. "I am aware of it all. Professor Ian came to me yesterday evening and told me of the incident. There was one thing that I'm curious about though. He told me that the boggart turned into two different things. What might they have been?"

With a sigh, Hermione told him, "The first form was of my friend Harry. Harry has gone up against Voldemort--" She rolled her eyes as everyone except for Dumbledore gasped at the name and shivered, "too many times and he's been introduced to too many things. He's gone into depression and with him having practically no family, he feels alone. He blames himself for a lot of things though, but in his state, I'm afraid he'll turn out as Tom Riddle had."

"Tom Riddle? So you know about Voldemort's past?" The Headmaster inquired quietly.

"Yes, I do. You told Harry and Harry told me. Tom was in an orphanage for a good part of his life, and eventually, his depression and anger turned him into a dark wizard. I'm afraid, Harry has been showing signs of what I believe Tom had with his depression and anger at the world. That would explain the second form that the boggart took. It was of the future Voldemort."

"Miss Granger, I'm pleased to hear that you are not afraid of Voldemort so much that you'd have trouble defeating him one on one." Dumbledore told her. "When I heard the news, I was afraid that you were scared of Voldemort himself, and that wouldn't do if you had to defeat him. Now, I realize you were just scared for your friend."

"Yes, sir. That's exactly what happened…" Hermione mumbled, looking at her hands. "I know it's childish, but I can't help but worry about him. He was one of my first friends, along with Ron, and I--"

"That's quite fine." The Headmaster said before standing up and addressing the whole room. "Breakfast has started in the Great Hall. Hermione, I believe you should go eat before your morning classes. If something else comes up, you may come see me. I'll arrange a meeting for the Order to introduce you to them but in the meantime, get through you classes and try to spend a few days _out _of the hospital wing."

Hermione blushed and stood up. "Professor, I just want you to know, the Marauder's know about me and my erm, status. They know that I'm not from here."

Dumbledore stared at her intently for a few seconds. "Very well. I hope you didn't tell them too much, especially what includes their futures."

"I didn't tell them much about their futures." Hermione admitted. "Well, goodbye Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall. Bye Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasly, Profess-I mean, uh, Moody."

Hermione's face flushed and hurried out of the office. As soon as she shut the door behind her, she heard the room burst with voices. Shaking her head, the girl made her way down the steps.

Her mind went over everything that had just happened in the Headmasters office. It wasn't really much of anything new, but something was eating at her now. Dumbledore hadn't said anything to her when she asked what she would be doing after she finished her purpose in this time.

"I suppose I'll just have to find out." Hermione sighed before heading off to breakfast.

* * *

The next few days passed by normally, if you want to exclude the fact that on Wednesday, the forks that was set out on the tables during dinner would sprout legs and arms when touched and would go frolicking down the tables singing the Hokey Pokey and would do a small dance number. 

On Thursday morning, the Great Hall was enchanted to look like everything was liquefying and whenever someone sat down on the benches of the house tables, it would scream, "I'm mellllting, _mellllting_!"

Hermione had gone through all of her classes without any more weird happenings, though she still earned odd looks from fellow students. No one seemed to want to ask her about the boggart incident but they were curious all the same. Even the Marauders had decided to leave the subject alone.

Professor McGonagall seemed pleased with her, seeing how Hermione was dedicated to her work. Professor Ian instantly became one of her favorite teachers and he seemed keen to make sure nothing odd happened in his class with her again; for her safety. The potions professor, Professor Baker, wasn't so bad. He was more curious about Hermione than anything. He still favored the Slytherin's more than the other houses, but he wasn't been anything like Snape.

So, the school days went by quickly enough for Hermione and the others. She had become real good friends with Lily, who was more excited than anyone Hermione had ever seen. James had sent her a letter back on Wednesday, replying to her 'love letter.' Of course, Remus had made sure that James sent it when Lily wasn't anywhere near them. The redhead was practically bouncing off of the walls when she read the reply. Hermione had just smiled and told her to reply back to his letter; which she did.

So now, the weekdays passed off until Hogsmeade weekend came. Hermione was just waking up in the dormitory on Saturday morning. It was just beginning to get light outside.

The dull glow of the rising sun behind clouds filtered through the window in the girls dormitory and Hermione yawned as she stretched out on her four-poster bed. It was silent in the room, except for the light breathing coming from the other three beds. The room was cold and the brown haired girl debated with herself if she should get up out of her warm bed.

She was glad that she hadn't had anymore nightmares. Getting through the day without having to relive her memories in any way was a relief that was welcomed by her. Every once in a while, Hermione would space off and think about what the others were doing back in the future.

With a sigh, Hermione sat up and pulled her covers off of her body. She knew that if she didn't get ready for the day before the other girls woke up, she wouldn't be able to use the bathroom at all. It was, after all, Hogsmeade day.

As quietly as possible, Hermione shuffled around the room, getting her clothing and accessories ready for the day. She took a quick shower and dressed in a warm, black sweater, accompanied with dark, navy blue jeans. She put on her pair of trainers and then brushed her hair.

With a quick charm, she dried her hair and decided to do something else with it. She used another charm that would straighten her hair so that it hung sleekly down her back and curled slightly at the bottom. After being satisfied with her look, she wrapped a plain, black cloak around her tightly. The room was chilly.

Hermione dug in her trunk one last time before pulling out a pouch that had some wizard money in it. She would go ahead and buy Christmas gifts for her friends; even though it _was _a bit early. She just didn't want to have to wait until the last minute.

She stashed the money in a pocket of her cloak and stepped quietly out of the dormitory before making her way to the common room. It was quiet and practically empty, except for one person who had fallen asleep on one of the couches.

When the girl walked forward to investigate, she saw that it was Sirius. Hermione stifled a laugh, seeing a opened book on the floor next to his hand that was hanging off the side of the couch. Since when did Sirius read?

Hermione crept towards him, then by reaction, she tugged gently on a lock of his long, messy hair to wake him up. She'd always done that to Harry and Ron when they'd fallen asleep somewhere other than their room.

Sirius mumbled something that sounded like, "I don't wanna' leave the cheese" and then he turned his head to the side.

Hermione giggled quietly, then tugged on his hair again, this time a bit more noticeably. His eyes opened slightly and he mumbled something again, before seeing Hermione standing over him, grinning.

"Wha-- Hermione?" He blinked, sitting up quickly.

"Morning, Sunshine." Hermione stuck her tongue out at him. "What were you doing down here so late?"

"Oh, I was reading." He told her matter-of-factly and then yawned.

"Reading? Since when did the great Sirius read?" She questioned him with a raised eyebrow.

"I was reading on animagi forms." He said quietly. "Just for some reference, you know?"

"Oh, I see." Hermione took a seat on the couch next to him when he moved his legs.

"What are you doing up so early?" He yawned again and rubbed at his eyes.

"I'm always up early." She replied, picking up the book he had been reading.

"You're mad." He said in a mock-horrified voice.

"Let me be mad then." She smiled. "At least I'm not the only one up early today."

"Huh?"

"You!" Hermione poked him in the chest. "You're up now."

"Oh, well, that's because you woke me up. You're evil!" The dark haired boy waved his arms in the air as if it was important to do so.

"Fine, go back to bed then, Mr. Padfoot. Just don't blame me if you wake up too late to go to Hogsmeade." Hermione huffed and crossed her arms across her chest.

Sirius perked up immediately. "Hogsmeade!"

Hermione laughed at the look on his face. "That woke you up."

"'Course it did! It's Hogsmeade day! Hoggy Hoggy Hogsmeade!"

"Oh god." Hermione laughed, covering her face with her hands. "I've awaken the monster."

"Monster!" Sirius cried, "You're calling me a monster? I'm hurt!"

"Aw, I'm sowwie Ickle Sirikins." Hermione cooed. "Will you forgive me?"

"Sirikins?" The boy squeaked. "Sirikins!"

The girl burst out into laughter now, seeing the horrified look on the boys face. He was clearly not used to be called by names other than Sirius or Padfoot.

Hermione was still laughing and didn't notice his eyes narrowing and she missed the small, playful growl that escaped his lips. Before Hermione had time to register what was happening, Sirius had tackled her on the couch.

"Sirius, get off of me!" Hermione commanded through her laughter.

"Not until you apologize for calling me that!" Sirius told her as he began to tickle her sides.

"S-Sirius, stop!" She squealed, trying to push him off.

"Not until you apologize."

"I'll never apologize!"

"Fine, then I'll _never _stop tickling you!"

"No!" Hermione cried out.

He continued to tickle her and Hermione and she did the only things she could think of to get away from him. She took the book he'd been reading the night before and whacked him upside the head with it, though not _too _hard.

"Ow!" He pouted. "What was that for?"

"For not stopping!" Hermione laughed and pushed him away from her only to get the result of him falling backwards on the floor as he slid off the couch.

"Oomph! That's it, I'm going to get you for that!" He cried as Hermione squealed and jumped off the couch. "You have no one to save you from me!"

The girl just laughed and ran towards the boys dormitories out of habit, the boys threats being nothing in her ears. She heard Sirius running after her and she hurried, taking the steps two at a time. Before she realized it, she had flung open the Marauders dormitory door after reading their names on the plaque and hurried inside with Sirius at her heels.

"Come here!" He growled playfully and grabbed her around the waist.

She struggled to get away and nearly did but he lunged out and gripped her tighter around the waist and flung her around in a half circle. Hermione squealed loudly at the action and prolonged her efforts of getting away.

Muffled moans and mumbling were heard in the room and James pulled his curtains aside to poke his head out. "What's all the racket in here? Who screamed like a girl?"

Hermione took this time to wrench free of Sirius' grasp and ran towards James' bed and hid behind one of the bed posts. She stuck her tongue out at the boy who narrowed his eyes at her.

"Hermione?" James asked groggily then paused. "Hermione! What are you doing in here! Girls aren't supposed to be--"

"Oh, come off of it, James. I used to come up to the boys dorms every morning in my time. Anyways, he--" Hermione pointed at Sirius, as James struggled to find a shirt, "chased me up here!"

"I'm only chasing you because you wouldn't apologize!" Sirius said loudly.

Another muffled moan came from the bed next to James' and the curtain pulled back to reveal a very tousle haired Remus. He flung his feet onto the floor and sat at the end of his bed, shirtless and very tired looking. He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up more before he said, "Do you realize how loud you all are? What are you guys doing?"

Sirius looked at his friends. "_I'm_ trying to get this young _lady_ here to stop running away from me and apologize!"

"Huh?" Remus rubbed his eyes in a childish way before looking up through his bangs to see a very determined looking Hermione hiding behind one of James' bed posts. "Hermione!"

"That's me." She replied and flashed him a grin.

Remus blushed deeply, and like James, began searching for his discarded shirt from the night before. Hermione laughed quietly and reassured them that she wasn't seeing anything new, but Remus just blushed a deeper red.

James had already pulled a shirt over his head and was now looking warily at Hermione. "Girls are _not _supposed to be in a boys dorm!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Hermione asked him with her eyebrows raised.

"I…" James looked thoughtfully before he looked at Sirius. "What do you think Padfoot?"

"I don't know Prongs. Maybe I should…"

"But you _wouldn't! _Would you?" James said in a mock-terrified voice.

"Oh, but I would!" Sirius replied, grinning at a confused looking Hermione.

"Do what?" She demanded.

Sirius grinned wickedly at her and pulled out his wand. He brandished it and a bucket of water appeared at his feet. He picked it up and took a step towards the girl.

"Don't you dare." She hissed with narrowed eyes.

Sirius just let out a hoot of laughter and lunged at her, bucket in his hands. Hermione scrambled onto James' bed with another shriek before rolling off the other side and ran to a confused Remus. He looked up at her with shocked eyes before she yelped and jumped onto his bed, hiding behind the boy.

"Save me from ickle Sirikins!" Hermione cried out, clutching onto the disheveled and shirtless Remus.

Remus was about to say something then choked on the air he'd breathed in. He sputtered for a bit then managed to say, "Ickle Sirikins?"

James let out a burst of laughter from the next bed and fell over on his pillows while Sirius glared at Hermione, who waved back at him innocently.

"Ah, shove it, Prongs." Sirius barked and tossed the water at his friend who was rolling around on his blankets.

James sat up, sputtering as the water dripped from his face and hair that was now matted to his head. "What was that for!"

"For laughing." The other dark haired boy crowed, waving his arms around exasperatedly. Hermione noted that he did that a lot.

Hermione giggled and Sirius rounded on her. She put on an innocent face and looked up at the boy who was striding over to her and Remus, looking very… amused?

"Are you going to apologize?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Never." Hermione whispered, then squealed and ducked her head behind Remus as the other boy made a grab for her. "Save me!"

Remus' face reddened as she clutched onto him tighter, her squeals loud in his hears. He mumbled something to Sirius who grinned roguishly.

"Oh ho, what is this? Someone else has stolen my fair maidens heart!" Sirius cried and brandished a fake dagger out at Remus who looked up at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Padfoot, you prat." Remus rolled his eyes but his face was still bright red. "When will you ever learn to leave a lady alone?"

"What?" Sirius placed a hand over his chest on the right side. "Are you telling me she doesn't love me?"

"Yes, Sirius, I don't see who would." Remus smiled sweetly at his friend, then added, "Your heart is on the left side, by the way."

Sirius looked down and merely shrugged before placing his hand over his heart. "Everyone has their mutations."

Hermione gave a small snort of laughter at that and poked her head out from Remus' right shoulder. "Has anyone ever told this guy that he's the _worst_ charmer?"

"No, I don't think anyone ever has." Remus replied, rubbing his chin in a sinister way. "I think that it's about time someone does though."

"Oh, so now _you're_ against me?" The other boy waggled a finger at him. "Well so much for having friends! I disown you now! You can go to the library and make friends with those… those… creepy little book people that lurk in there. I bet they have you brainwashed against me, don't they?"

"Yes Padfoot, those little book personas have got it out for you. They've got half of the schools population against you." Remus replied and shook his russet bangs out of his face.

"I knew it!"

"Yes you did."

Hermione decided it was time for her to make a departure. She slid off of Remus' bed and then made her way over to the door before Sirius could stop her.

"I guess I'll be seeing you guys later this evening then?"

"Wait, did you want to go to Hogsmeade with us?" Sirius asked.

"No, I'm already supposed to meet up with someone." Hermione smiled. "Thanks anyways."

Hermione saw that Sirius was about to either protest or ask her who she was going with, so Hermione rushed out of the room and closed the door behind her. She quickly descended the stairs gracefully then left the common room, ready for the upcoming evening with Severus.

* * *

A/N: This one is a bit shorter than usual, but I decided to stop there. I actually got this chapter out quickly, no? Well, I'll be starting on the next chapter either this afternoon or tomorrow sometime, so just wait and it should be uploaded soon! - Min 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I'm so sorry that it took me this long to get this chapter up! I had plans to have this out a bit after Halloween, but plans changed drastically and I haven't been able to get it up until now. Please don't hate me! This chapter is rushed a bit because I wanted to get it out so that you guys wouldn't think I was ditching the story, so if it seems a bit tentative, I'm sorry. Anyways, moving along, I also typed up a story a while back that I finally published a few days ago, called, **Mr. Prongs Would Like To Welcome Padfoot Home**. It's a small dedication to Sirius, so if you want to read it, be my guest! I also went to go see the new Harry Potter movie last night! It was great, except I didn't really like how it didn't follow the story, and anyone that hasn't read the books would be extremely confused… in my opinion. I didn't like the character they picked for Fleur either, but that's just me. Was it just me or did Voldemort not have red eyes? Eh.. Anyways, here's the story! Enjoy!

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Regular actions; speech

_Thoughts, memories, or emphasized words_

_: Memories :

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**Mandalen: **Lol, thank you. I was sort of at a loss of what to put on that. I hate knowing that a lot of things for pranks have been used in other stories, so I just did that in hopes of not using a cliché; I'm unsure if it's been used before though.

**Caitlyn: **To answer your question, Peter was asleep the whole time. I had it planned when I was writing that chapter that the others would wake him up after Hermione left. I didn't leave him out on purpose! Just read on and find out who finds Hermione and Severus in Hogsmeade!

**Melissa Trent:** Yes! Ickle Sirikins. : D I liked how it sounded, so I had to use it somewhere in my story. And, I'm honestly not sure if I will put any Hermione/Sirius fluff in it. It might be a bit much with how I'm planning my plot to go, but I'll keep it in mind.

**Reanne1102: **Thank you! Your review made me smile. ( : I'm glad you like the story. I hope you and your friend enjoy reading this next chapter!

**LunaLovegoss: **Thanks! Alright, the deal with the whole scar/tattoo looking thingy will be revealed in her meeting with the whole Order. I honestly let that slip my mind when I was making the last chapter, so thanks for reminding me! I should have put that somewhere in there, but I was so caught up in the story that I didn't exactly think of it. So, whenever she goes to the Order meeting, it will come up. The reason why I didn't have her bring it up beforehand was because she was planning on telling Dumbledore when they were alone; but she wont get much of a chance to. So, just keep reading if you want to find out.

**Hiei is MYNE: **Thank you! I'm glad that you like my story! Yes, the description I used for Severus Snape was how I would picture the younger and more innocent persona. I didn't want to make him seem mean and ugly like a majority of people made him because he's still young and there are twenty years ahead of him to get through.

**Wally4ever: **I'm sorry if you didn't understand the theory thing about the shadow. To put it short, Hermione is in a dimensional status where she doesn't exist anywhere. She's in the past, where she isn't _supposed_ to exist, and therefore, she doesn't present herself as an actual persona that belongs there. If you don't understand it still, I'll try to give more of a explanation over it. Sorry! Also, yes, this story is going to stay a Remus/Hermione fic. I don't have any plans on that changing.

**Duos Gurl1: **Thank you! I'm not sure about Sirius hooking up with anyone, but if the majority of you reviewers want him to, then I'll gladly do it. I just don't know what kind of person he would go for exactly. Any ideas? Also, about your email, thank you for pointing out a few of the things I hadn't realized.

1: On chapter 2, when I put the website that I got the information from, it cut it off and I hadn't realized it. I guess it cut the site off because of the http thing. Anyways, the site that I had used was: hp-lexicon. org/index-2. Html (without the spaces)

2: Now, on chapter 6 where I it said, "As Hermione passed the Slytherin table, she saw Severus and smiled warmly at him. He nodded to her, and resumed talking to a boy that looked disturbingly familiar to Hermione." I had meant that the boy (Lucius Malfoy) looked like Draco; therefore, familiar. In other words, the sentence could be revised as: "As Hermione passed the Slytherin table, she saw Severus and smiled warmly at him. He nodded to her and resumed talking to a boy that Hermione found disturbingly familiar."

3: About the mark. This has came up more than once, and I realize my mistake about it, but I had had intentions to add something about it in my last chapter but while I was typing the chapter out, I guess it slipped through my mind. About the mark now; I hadn't meant to leave it out just like that. When Hermione was speaking to Dumbledore and he asked her if there was anything else she'd like to tell him about, I forgot to add this--

* * *

"_I'm going to have to look into that," Dumbledore said calmly, "because for once, I'm at a loss at what to tell you. I'll get back to you on that, Hermione. Until then, is there anything else you'd like to share with me?"_

_Hermione gulped. _**:Missing Part:** She desperately wanted to tell the Headmaster about the mark that had appeared on her stomach, but she was scared to present the problem in front of so many people. Even if she knew them in the future, she didn't know anything about them in this time and vise versa. Hermione decided that she would wait until Dumbledore was alone to ask him about the mark. She let the problem drift to the back of her mind until later. **/End Missing Part:**

_She had intended to tell him everything that she'd told the Marauders but she wasn't sure if she wanted to now. "Professor, I'm guessing you heard about the incident with the boggart yesterday--"_

_Dumbledore put a hand up to silence her. "I am aware of it all. Professor Ian came to me yesterday evening and told me of the incident. There was one thing that I'm curious about though. He told me that the boggart turned into two different things. What might they have been?"

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**Other thanks go out to: **TheDoomer, Parvatti, Katsheswims, amrawo, Evil Cat Hater, the-kaiba-heir, Torri-Chiobie, SuperGirl0026, FireBringer, AzNAnGeL07 and, little mimi!

**

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"_Wait, did you want to go to Hogsmeade with us?" Sirius asked._

"_No, I'm already supposed to meet up with someone." Hermione smiled. "Thanks anyways."_

* * *

Remus watched as Sirius was about to protest to Hermione's words but before he had the chance, the girl rushed out of the room and closed the door behind her. Everyone either stood or sat where they were and blinked, apparently confused of the girls antics.

"O…kay." James finally said, breaking the long stretched silence. "That was weird."

"Yes, that was weird." Sirius shook his head.

"Very weird." James replied.

"Very weird indeed." The other dark haired boy agreed.

"I concur."

"Are you two finished being remotely stupid?" Remus mumbled while he got out of his bed and stretched, a slight blush still glowing on his pale face.

Just because it was Hogsmeade day, that didn't mean he wanted to be woken up earlier than normal; especially by means of a squealing girl. Though, Remus admitted to himself, it was somewhat of a nice change to have Hermione wake him up instead of Sirius or James. God always knew what they planned to do every morning in attempt to wake up the dorm. Though, Hermione being in his dorm while he's hardly dressed was somewhat…

"No." The other two boys retorted in unison, breaking Remus' train of thought.

"Hey, Wormtail never woke up." Sirius whined, looking over at the sleeping boys form and then bounded over towards Peter's bed.

When he reached the four poster bed of his friend, he catapulted himself onto the lump under the red comforter. Mumbled threats surfaced from under the laughing boy who was now repeatedly poking at the shorter boys sides.

"Oi, geroff me." Peter mumbled and kicked Sirius off of his bed.

Sirius landed on his back and let out a great 'oomph' of air as he hit it. "Ow, Wormtail!"

"Sorry, but you deserved it." The disgruntled boy replied while he kicked his blankets off and moved off his bed. "Why're you all up so early anyways?"

"Hoggy Hoggy Hogsmeade!" Sirius sung in reply, slapping his palms against the carpet.

"Oh!" Peter squeaked after a moment and hurried over to his trunk. "I nearly forgot."

Sirius blinked. "Yeah, I think we all did."

"So what's first on today's agenda?" James asked as he began to pull clothing out of his own trunk and tossed it randomly onto the already messy floor.

"Breakfast, of course!" The other dark haired boy answered as he pulled a clean shirt over his head.

"Yes, we can't forget breakfast," Remus said sardonically as he too pulled a clean shirt on.

As the boys hurried to get dressed, Remus walked over towards the window and looked out. His breath caught in his throat as he looked out over the grounds and at the melancholy sky. Snow was drifting lazily down onto the earth from the clouds that obscured the sky and covered the grounds in a white blanket. It was always something that Remus had always found beautiful.

"Snow!" James exclaimed as he came up beside the werewolf.

"Great! This weekend is going to be perfect," Sirius grinned towards his friends while hopping on one foot as he attempted to put on a sock. "Anyone up for a snowball fight tomorrow?"

"I'm in!"

"So am I!"

"I don't know what use it would be to try and object. So I suppose I'm in too," The other boys laughed at Remus as he shook his head and tsked at them.

Once all of them were ready to go to breakfast, they left Gryffindor Tower. Upon sitting down at the Gryffindor table to eat the morning meal, Remus scanned the many faces of students that had already been there. He felt a small pang of disappointment when he didn't find the familiar face of Hermione.

"What's wrong Moony?" Sirius mumbled through a mouthful of eggs.

"Nothing."

"All right, there's something," James pointed his fork accusingly at his friend. "You always say 'nothing' when there _is _something."

"And you'd know this?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow. How could he explain to his friends that he was feeling a bit off because Hermione wasn't there?

"It's because of Hermione, isn't it?" Peter said shrewdly with a small grin.

"What?" Remus sputtered. _Speak of the devil_, he thought and inwardly groaned.

"Ah hah!" Sirius shouted loudly, causing a few second years to jump and stare. "So it is!"

"No!" Remus denied and suddenly busied himself with his toast. He knew he was starting to blush, even if it was slight.

"Yes!" James grinned and gave the other boy a small shove in the shoulder.

Remus rolled his eyes and was quiet. What was the use in trying to deny it? They wouldn't drop it, even if he tried his best to assure them that Hermione wasn't the reason. He looked at his plate intently and replied, "So what if it is?"

"Oh, oh, oh! Moony has finally found himself a Lily!" Sirius crowed triumphantly while James scowled at him.

"A Lily? Now you're using our situation as some sort of metaphor?" James spat playfully.

"Metaphor?" The other boy blinked confusedly.

Remus rolled his eyes and smiled. Leave it to his friends to not know what a metaphor was and how to use it properly. As breakfast past, Remus listened as his friends bickered at one another, played around, and joked about. He was quite surprised that they hadn't planned a new prank yet; they were usually always planning something.

"Moony, you ready to go?"

Remus looked up to see his friends already standing up and waiting for him. "Yeah, sorry about that."

He stood up and joined his friends on their way to the double doors. The russet haired boy was vaguely listening to James inform Peter of the newest Quidditch 'gossip' as Remus called it. He could already tell that the day was going to be full of mischief from his friends, who were all in high spirits.

* * *

Meanwhile, some of the students had already made their way to Hogsmeade for the day, two of them being a certain Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Hermione was making her way to the place that her and Severus had decided to meet at; the Shrieking Shack. It would have been suspicious if they had left to castle together, so they had just decided to meet up in the village before many people came.

The girl was now trudging down the road leading to the 'most haunted house in Britain.' She hadn't realized that it was snowing before she left; if she had known, she would have grabbed a warmer cloak but she was content at the moment. In fact, she was quite enjoying herself as she walked along the deserted path with snow falling around her and the only noise being the hushed flapping of her cloak and the wind that whistled quietly through the surrounding trees.

Hermione was glad that Severus had asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him. She liked hanging out with the Marauders, but she needed _some_ quiet in her life and Severus was a quiet person. He was also becoming a great friend of Hermione's and vise versa. They could sit for hours in comfortable silence, just enjoying each others presence. It was something that Hermione actually found comforting.

Through the screen of white falling from the sky, Hermione could see the silhouette of the Shrieking Shack in the distance. Turning off to the right of the path where it was obvious that someone had passed through, she wove around the trees where less snow had fallen on the ground, leaving her own footprints in the white powder.

Up ahead, a bit to the left of her, she could see a cloaked figure standing near the fence whom was staring out at the shack. Hermione approached the person slowly and quietly, knowing that it was Severus.

"Hey."

He turned around and nodded to her in acknowledgement. "I thought you would take forever getting here."

Hermione chuckled quietly, hearing the teasing in his voice. "I couldn't make it seem _too_ obvious, now could I?"

"Of course not." He replied in his usual, quiet voice.

Hermione walked up to the fence and brushed the snow off of the top wooden plank before hoisting herself up onto it backwards so that her back was to the shack. She pulled her cloak tightly around her torso, trapping in what warmth her body gave off.

It was silent for a few moments before the boy glanced at her with a smirk and asked, "So the notorious Marauders let you go?"

"They wanted me to come here with them but I told them I was going with someone else." She grinned.

"You could have gone with them if you really wanted to." Severus looked at the shack while he spoke, though his voice held a certain edge to it that Hermione immediately realized was scorn.

"I could have, but I didn't want to; I wanted to come here with you. You _did _ask me first, you know."

He nodded then turned to look at her with a small, half smile visible on his face. "You're the only person who I've ever asked to come here with me. The only other person I _would_ ask would be Lily since she's always sticking up for me, but I don't think that would fair good with her lover boy."

Hermione made a face. "James?"

"Who else?"

The brown eyed girl laughed lightly and looked at the trees that obscured them from anyone's view if they were walking along the path. "He's hopeless when it comes to her."

"Indeed." Severus sneered.

"Oh, come on Sev, you know that they'd be a great couple if they just realized that they like each other."

"Don't call me that," he said with narrowed eyes.

"Why not?" Hermione asked while raising an eyebrow, "It's not like anyone else is around to hear."

The raven haired boy let out an undignified snort, showing his amusement. Hermione flashed a smile his way and swung her legs back and forth a few times. The boy just leaned forward against the fence as it continued to snow, neither of them saying anything for a long time until Severus broke the silence.

"What are you planning on doing here in Hogsmeade?"

"Oh, just a bit of shopping." She said matter-of-factly while waving a hand dismissively.

Severus stared at her in bewilderment, "Shopping? Shopping for _what_ exactly?"

"Yes, _shopping._ Not for anything girly, mind you, just some presents for Christmas." She rolled her eyes.

"Good, I wouldn't have you drag me into any of those… _girl_ stores." He mentally shuddered at the thought.

The girl let out a good natured laugh and hopped down off of the fence. "You know you like those shops. With all the pink fluffy things and all the perfumes--"

Severus glared at her good naturedly and kicked at the ground, sending the powered snow up into the air in front of him so that it landed gracefully, yet coldly, on Hermione.

Hermione shrieked loudly as the snow landed on her, melting against her flushed face and neck. "Severus!"

He smirked at her and ducked when she threw a handful of snow at him. He leant over and scooped up a handful of snow, pressing it into a snowball and then chucked it at the girl, hitting her in the shoulder. She huffed and did the same, this time actually hitting him in the arm.

He scowled at her as she attempted to throw another one at him but he stepped to the right, avoiding a headlong collision with the accurately thrown snowball.

This continued for quiet a while until Hermione put her arms in the air, indicating her surrender. Severus smirked triumphantly and leaned against the fence again, this time with his arms crossed against his chest while he faced the girl who was now sitting cross legged in the snow.

"You should have gone easy on me." Hermione pouted.

"Easy?" Severus snorted, once more.

"Yes! I think you cheated." She sniffed and turned her head away from him.

"I didn't cheat!" The boy sputtered, "You're just a sore loser."

"Humph!" Hermione huffed and trust her hand towards him, which he just blinked at. "Will you help me up?"

Severus sneered slightly and grasped her hand in his and attempted to pull her up, but much to his surprise, the girl jerked him down into the snow next to her. She laughed outright as he tumbled ungracefully into the snow beside her, flailing in attempt to keep himself from falling face first on the ground.

"How very graceful." She giggled.

Her friend pulled himself up so that he was sitting facing her. She watched in amusement as he tried to brush strands of his hair out of his eyes but only succeeded in getting snow all over his face. Watching the fruitless attempts, she leaned forward and did it for him, grinning at his annoyed look.

"That was a dirty trick you did just a moment ago."

"Oh, was it?"

"Indeed, it was." He glared at her and crossed his arms once more. "And you said _I _cheated."

"And _you_ call yourself a Slytherin. Ha!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Hermione grinned at him, "It means exactly what I said."

There was comfortable silence after those words. Hermione decided to fall backwards in the snow with a muffled 'thump' and lay sprawled out in the cold powdered precipitation. Severus casually watched her and the surroundings, though he found himself staring unashamedly at the mysterious girl in front of him for the majority of the time.

The main thing that always went through his head when she was around him was, '_she doesn't seem to belong in this world where rivalries are constant and muggleborns are hated by most.' _He wouldn't admit that out loud of course, but the thought was still there.

And it was a true thing, he argued with himself. Seeing her stretched out in the snow in a contented way while in the company of one of the most hated Slytherin's caused an aura of ease to surround and envelop him. Was it always this nice to have friends?

Hermione was beginning to freeze her bottom off by now but she didn't feel like moving just yet. Severus was being quiet, lost in his own thoughts which left her in her own as well.

She began to think about a few things that Harry had once told her, though by accident, about Severus-- or, as he called him at the time, Snape. Did he really have such a neglected childhood? Did his parents really fight all the time? All of these questions led to more and more, until finally she looked a bit to the right, peering off into the distance at the Shrieking Shack and was now lost in memories…

_: "I don't believe it! You-- You--!"_

_"Hermione--"_

_"--You and him!"_

_"Hermione, calm down--"_

_"I didn't tell anyone! I've been covering up for you--"_

_"Hermione, listen to me, please! I can explain--"_

_"I trusted you and all this time you've been his friend!"_

_"You're wrong. I haven't been Sirius' friend, but I am now-- Let me explain..."_

_"NO! Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead to-- **he's a werewolf**!" :_

She sighed heavily, remembering not only how horrible that night had been; but also how successful her and her friends were. She recalled how she was shocked to find out that Scabbers had been Peter the whole time and how he was a servant to Voldemort. Was Severus part of the Death Eaters in this time already?

Hermione shifted slightly so that she was in a more comfortable position. She couldn't feel her face that well, due to the icy wind and her feet were starting to become uncomfortably numb, but otherwise she was fine.

"Severus?" She said timidly.

He looked at her, slightly startled by the tone of her voice but nonetheless replied, "Yes?"

"Tell me… have you thought about joining Voldemort's ranks? Like… becoming a Death Eater?"

The boy froze in place, his face becoming an impassive mask while his eyes hardened, showing no emotion. He refused to respond, so Hermione just took a different approach.

"Look, Severus. I'm not blind. I know that Voldemort wants you to join him. Whether it's on or against your will, I know he wants you." She sighed as he stared at her. "Severus, please tell me, I wont hold anything against you and I wont tell anyone anything, but are you planning on joining him on your own will?"

The boy didn't respond for a long time. "How do I know you wont tell anyone?"

"How about we use an Unbreakable Vow?" She replied calmly.

He thought for a moment before nodding his head and Hermione sat up, extending her hand out for him. Severus took hers in his and held his wand tip to their locked hands and said, "Will you, Hermione Granger, not speak of anything I will tell you about my intentions to anyone other than myself?"

"I will." She replied evenly, watching as a bright red flame shot out of Severus' wand and covered their hands. Then, she asked, "In turn, will you, Severus Snape, tell only the truth to me while you speak of your intentions?"

"I will."

Another flame encircled the interlocked hands, encasing them in a cool heat as it glowed and faded. Hermione looked up expectantly at Severus who in turn, took a deep breath and stood up, putting up his wand. Hermione got up to, her backside now numb and she hopped around a bit, getting the feeling back in her feet.

"So, what did you want to know exactly?"

"If you were going to join Voldemort."

"Honestly, I don't know exactly. My father wants me to join him, but I don't want to. He sent me a letter not to long ago telling me that he was expecting me to show my loyalties soon, and the only thing I can think that that means is…"

"Getting the dark mark." Hermione finished for him as she trotted over to her previous place on the fence. Raising herself up again, she looked up into the sky.

"I know you've only known me for a few days, but I want to tell you that if you're forced to get the dark mark, I won't ever hold it against you. There is good in you, I know it. I've seen it, but things will try to turn you to the wrong side even if it's against your will. You still have the chance to refuse allegiance to Voldemort. There always will be. It's just that you yourself have to decide what path you want to take. You probably don't realize this, but you will play a major part in the future whether for good or bad; maybe both. The decisions you make can save hundreds of lives, or take them. I've seen a fair number of things in my life, and one thing I've seen happen is someone who is completely lost turn to what is right or vise versa. You have a chance Severus. If you put faith in Dumbledore, he will protect you. He's a good man who's true to his word. That's why I'm on his side."

There was a long pause after this until she turned to face Severus, who was staring at her with wide eyes. As a shaft of light broke through the blanket of clouds, she smiled at him, her eyes sparkling in the light of the morning. "I trust you Severus."

* * *

_I trust you…_

He'd never heard those words spoken to him before; no one would ever trust him, or so he thought.

Severus stared at the girl in front of him, unsure of what he was feeling. She looked almost unearthly, sitting on top of the fence as if she had no care in the world of what the future held, whether dark or peaceful. He watched as the fluffy snow flakes drifted down from the sky and lazily floated around her body that was now drenched in the shafts of sunlight, a few curls of her brown hair falling into her flushed face.

Her eyes were sparkling with so many emotions as they watched him, though her voice was golden and pure all the while that she spoke, her lips in a delicate smile that made him feel secure and, Merlin forbid, carefree.

Something about how this girl held herself as she talked to him kept him in a small trance. Her hair haloed her appearance in a golden prestige, giving her the air of someone full of knowledge, power, and spirit. For a brief moment, he didn't even know if she was human, her form standing out amidst the shadows that the light cast upon the snow, though she herself stood out without any darkness obscuring her exterior.

She turned her head away from him, looking up at something in the sky. Her upturned face glowed in the warmth of the daylight and she laughed softly, the same type of laughter he'd heard before in the Great Hall during one of the meals.

"Severus, promise me something."

He snapped out of the small trance and collected himself. "What?"

"Promise me that you'll stay true to me, as I will to you?"

_What is she getting at?_ He questioned himself, uncertain of her random thoughts. He had a feeling that she already knew what he would say to that, but he decided to assure her. "I promise."

She grinned broadly and jumped down off of the fence so that she was in front of him, then enveloped him into a tight hug. He was quite startled at first, but then he felt that he quite liked the feeling; he had never really known how it would feel to be hugged, his mother hadn't given him the affection that most children craved.

As she started to pull away, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her back into a hug of his own, which she readily hugged back in. He couldn't help but bury his face against her hair, smiling softly, knowing that this was just the beginning of a strong friendship that they would hold for each other. He was about to tell her that he trusted her, until someone stepped from the shadows of the trees to their left, interrupting their embrace.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the cliffy, I'll get the next chapter up soon! 


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related.**

A/N: Yay! A new chapter! I got this one up as soon as I could, I hope you guys enjoy it. I won't be updating for a while because I'm going to be gone during the Thanksgiving holidays. I'll make up for it when I come back, though. And thank you guys for all the reviews! They're wonderful! - Min

**Reanne1102: **Thank you so much! You're review made me smile; it was by far the best one I've every had! I'm glad that people enjoy my writing skills (if that's what you want to call it) and that it's not going to waste. Thank you so much for being a great reviewer!

**LaxGoalie: **Thank you! To answer your question, and to be honest about it, I forgot about that. Thank you for filling me in on the plot hole and problem! I wasn't thinking when I wrote that, but I can't be perfect, you know? So, I'll find a way around that. For now, just think of it as she trusted Peter and didn't feel any, erm… what's the word for it, distrust(?) towards him at the time and thought it best to do so. Though, to be blunt, since I hadn't looked into that, nothing bad will come from him knowing. Sorry about that!

**Thanks go to -- **jeez claudine, Torri-Chiobie, Evil Cat Hater, SuperGirl0026, the-kaiba-heir, wally4ever, LunaLovegoss, Reanne1102, Amareth's Shadow, Jellyjade Bean Potter, Hawaiian-Rachael, little mimi, LaxGoalie, Born2Shop1377, Katsheswims, childoftheorient, swirlywhirlynutcase, Mimi, and Hermione-Leia Skywalker-Potter -- **for the wonderful reviews!**

_

* * *

_

"_Well, well, well, what do we have here?"_

* * *

Severus and Hermione pulled away from each other, startled by the sudden appearance from someone in the shadows. Both of them turned around to see the placid, emotionless face of Lucius Malfoy. Hermione paled visibly, recognizing him to be the boy that she had seen Severus speaking to the other day, and Severus paled because it was, well, Lucius.

"Good morning, Snape." He inclined his head slightly in greeting to his fellow housemate, then turned his attention to Hermione. He took a few steps forward towards her and took her hand in his before bowing down slightly to brush his lips against her knuckles. "Good morning, my dear. I am Lucius Malfoy."

Severus watched as Hermione seemed to, if possibly, become paler, but responded neutrally, "Hermione Granger."

The blonde smiled charmingly at her, "It's a pleasure, I'm sure."

Severus didn't give Hermione time to respond before he said, "What can I do for you, Malfoy?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Snape. Who said I was here for you? Is it such a sin to want to meet this beautiful young lady?"

"Of course it isn't, Lucius." Severus answered, though rather stiffly, "But it is rare that you would come so far, especially by yourself, just to meet someone whom you could easily become acquainted to at the castle."

"I just decided to take a simple stroll on my own. I grow weary of having those goons follow my every footstep. I just simply came across you two and decided to introduce myself. Though, I'm rather sorry if I interrupted anything intimate." Lucius spoke pointedly while he brushed his long, blonde hair off of his shoulder.

Hermione blushed deeply, but Severus stayed impassive. "You will not speak of anything you saw here, Malfoy."

"Of course, Snape. I wouldn't dream of it."

Severus scowled at the other boy, clearly not trusting him. Hermione on the other hand seemed perfectly fine -- for the majority of the situation -- and smiled slightly at the both of them. "So Lucius, how have you been fairing?"

"Wonderful, and yourself?"

"Oh, I could say I've been better, but I'm content." She continued smiling, though nervously and Severus caught her glancing at him.

Severus didn't trust Lucius. He couldn't be too sure of how long he'd been standing there, listening to their conversation. He knew for a fact that the Malfoy's were one of the top ranking families that came out to be Death Eaters, and he wouldn't be surprised in he had already joined Voldemort. He would just speak to Hermione about it later; they couldn't be trustful of Lucius.

It was quiet now, besides the low whistle of the wind and the occasional sound of snow falling from some unknown place. Severus didn't mind the quiet, Lucius didn't notice because he was watching Hermione with interest, and Hermione, aware of being watched, tried to act oblivious to the others. The silence was soon broken though, when the blonde spoke up timidly.

"Snape, I overheard part of your conversation on the way here--" Hermione looked at him in silent horror now, but his eyes locked onto Severus', "and I'm curious to know what you plan to do about your fathers wishes."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The raven haired boy's voice was cold and menacing.

"Don't worry, Snape. I have no intentions on telling anyone what I've heard today." Lucius said icily.

"I can't trust you. All of us know how Slytherin's are, not to mention that you're a _Malfoy._" Severus spat at the boy, crossing his arms across his chest out of nervousness.

Hermione was looking slightly frightened but Severus couldn't tell why she would be scared of anything at the moment, unless Lucius was about to send Death Eaters or his own groupies on them.

To his surprise, the other boy let out a loud sigh before murmuring quietly, "You're not the only one that has been expected to join the Dark Lord by New Year's."

To say that Severus was shocked by hearing him sounding so resentful was an understatement. "You mean you don't want to join him?"

The look on Lucius' face was priceless. His cheeks turned a dark red color and he trembled slightly with clenched fists. "Join him? Join him! I will admit, the Malfoy's have been a family that has followed in his footsteps for decades, but I don't see what is to be gained by following some lunatic around and killing people. I don't like mudbloods that much, and I don't care for halfbloods, but I don't want to go and _murder _them! Not to mention I _hate _being told what I will do, or what I'm expected to do. After seeing what happened to Mother after she found out Father's loyalties, I cannot bare to join willingly."

The other two listened to Lucius tell them about how his Father expected 'nothing less' of him than getting the mark and joining the Dark Lord since it was like a family tradition. He didn't fill them in about the information that involved his mum; that was something he kept quiet and tried to avoid when he spoke. Severus and Hermione smartly didn't speak while he spoke to them, partially because they were both shocked beyond speech.

The raven haired boy was confused though. Malfoy didn't want to be a Death Eater? That was something he thought that he'd never hear. Glancing at Hermione, he could tell that she was confused too. She was openly gaping at the boy, eyes wide in surprise.

Lucius looked annoyed, along with angry now. "If you find a way out of this, Severus, I would like to know. I do not wish to join the Death Eater ranks, but if there is no way out of it, then I must obey my Father's wishes."

"Of course…" Hermione whispered softly. Severus stared at her quizzically but she paid no mind. "Lucius, you wont speak of this to anyone, will you?"

"No, if you do not wish me to. I've already stated this." He sneered slightly. "Though I will tell you, there are quite a few Slytherin's that do not wish to join as we don't. If either of you find an alternative to this, then I will inform them about it; though you two will remain anonymous in the process."

Hermione nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. Severus though, was thinking that it was impossible to pull off. From what Hermione said earlier, would he be able to go to Dumbledore and be safe? Would Lucius be safe if he did the same?

There was a long pause in which no one was saying anything and the snow picked up until it was coming down heavily and in large flakes, all beams of light that had broken through the clouds now gone. A colder wind picked up, icy and bitter as it whipped around the vicinity and the three people who stood idle between the trees and fence. All three of them tightened their cloaks around themselves, though Severus noticed that Hermione hadn't dressed as warmly as the others and was now shaking noticeably beside him in her snow drenched cloak.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else…" He offered, looking pointedly at her.

She only nodded again, her gaze flitting from Severus to Lucius. The blonde haired boy, however, just sneered at Severus and silently slipped off his cloak in a fluid movement then draped it over the girls shoulders. She was about to protest but Lucius silenced her.

"I'm not called a gentleman for nothing." He raised his eyebrows at her as she blushed, but she didn't object. "Now, I think we should go to The Three Broomsticks for a drink, or we could go to the Hogs Head. I'd rather not be somewhere too crowded, so how about the Hogs Head?"

Severus shrugged as Hermione nodded and began walking back towards the path they had come from, his black cloak billowing out behind him sinisterly, knowing that the other two would follow soon and was soon proved right when Hermione came up next to him on the left and Lucius beside her; this was truly one of the oddest trio's either of them had ever seen.

* * *

At that moment, four people stepped into The Three Broomsticks, shivering from the cold weather. They hurriedly slipped through the crowd and found a table in the very back that was usually saved for them on Hogsmeade weekends. Almost everyone who had come to Hogsmeade were now in the pub, mostly for the warmth that it provided.

The four people took their places and ordered a Butterbeer each and awaited the arrival of the drinks. Said people just so happened to be some of the most popular people in Hogwarts; or at least three of them out of the group were. Peter wasn't admired that well with the majority of the population of Hogwarts but he still managed a bit of spotlight.

Remus, Sirius, and James were considered the heartthrobs of Hogwarts though. Sirius was the ladies man and couldn't keep one girlfriend for very long, James had his eyes set for one girl in particular, and Remus turned down countless girls because of his lycanthropy. He couldn't bare getting attached to a girl who would turn him down after she'd find out about his cursed life.

Vaguely thinking about this, Remus realized that he too had his eyes set for someone, though the sense of it was still fuzzy and confusing. He hadn't noticed any girl in particular until Hermione came around, but now she was on his mind all the time. Maybe it was just because she wasn't of this time, or it was the fact that she accepted him for what he is. Could it just be something as simple as a crush, or was it going to become a James and Lily problem?

With a sigh that no one heard, Remus picked up the mug that was placed in front of him and took a sip of the warm butterbeer. In the corner that they usually sat in, the noise in the pub wasn't so loud and Remus was grateful for that. He could already feel the beginning of a headache coming around, but he could get by if he stayed somewhere that wasn't blasting with noise.

"Those new filibuster fireworks in Zonko's will be great for pranks!" Sirius was telling James who was nodding enthusiastically.

"We should stick some in the Slytherin's scones over breakfast so that when they bite into them, the fireworks shoot out at them!"

Remus rolled his eyes slightly and tuned out his friends plans for destruction. Out of all six years he'd gone to school, he realized that it was useless trying to keep the others from causing mass chaos, especially so close to holidays. It was a known fact that before Christmas came around each year that the Marauders-- namely James and Sirius-- would prank as much as possible before they went home for Yule.

Remus was looking forward to going home to see his family and was also looking forward to seeing Mr. and Mrs. Potter. It was like a tradition for both of their families to meet up on Christmas eve and exchange presents, and usually he got to stay over at the Potter's. Peter even said he might be able to join them. The only people that had ever really accepted him for what he is would be gathered together; something that Remus enjoyed greatly.

"Remus? Remusss? Remus! MOONY!"

His head snapped up and he looked into the amused face of James. "Huh?"

"Finally! You were off in your own little world for a moment there. Anyways, we were discussing what we should plan for the Christmas Holidays since all of us will be able to hang out."

"Yeah, Peter and I were thinking about persuading the Potter's to take us to their vacation home near the beach." Sirius said casually while taking a gulp of his drink.

"I believe mum and dad wouldn't mind. They might actually enjoy it. Do you think your mum would be okay with that, Moony?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, she shouldn't really mind. As long as you can floo there, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Right-o. Alright fellow Marauders, now we need to plan what we will be doing there." James rubbed his hands together then slapped them onto the table top, causing the mugs to rattle slightly. "How about a party?"

"With just us?"

"Yes and no." James replied and thought while speaking, "If no one else is around, it will be just us, but if we can, we could gather up some of the locals on the beach to have a party with a giant bonfire."

"Won't it be a bit cold on the beach?" Peter squeaked from beside Remus.

"It wont be as cold as it is here. It's a beach and the vacation home is located farther south. It'll be mild winter weather, I suppose, maybe cold. No snow, thank Merlin." James informed him.

"Sounds great." Remus said. He hadn't ever been to the Potter vacation home and he'd never been to a beach.

"Alright, me and Prongs here will persuade the parents to let us go. Cheers to vacations!"

Remus grinned as the others lifted their butterbeers up into the air in unison and said "Cheers!" together. The russet haired boy shook his head slightly, lifting his own mug up and clanging it loudly against the others.

"Cheers!"

* * *

Lily and Alice were making their way to The Three Broomsticks for a couple butterbeers before they went back to the castle. Lily was slightly put out that Hermione wasn't with them, but she just shrugged it off. It wasn't like she didn't know other people at Hogwarts.

When she had woken up, she hadn't seen Hermione in her bed, and she didn't see her anywhere during breakfast; she wasn't even in Hogsmeade, for all that she knew. Shaking her head slightly, Lily turned to Alice who was complaining about the cold weather and smiled.

"Don't you like the snow?"

"No!" The girl whined through chattering teeth. "I can't stand it! Winter is just horrible!"

"No it's not. I happen to think that the snow looks pretty."

"It _looks_ pretty, but that's about all it's good for." Alice huffed.

Lily laughed and steered her friend towards the doors of the cheery looking pub. Warmth greeted them both and they made their way through the crowd, spotting Erica with two Ravenclaw girls and a Hufflepuff boy sitting down at a table near one of the many windows.

"Erica!" Alice called out and waved when the girl looked their way.

Lily followed her friend over to the table and seated herself next to one of the Ravenclaw girls. Alice sat next to the Hufflepuff boy, introducing herself.

"Hey Erica." Lily smiled.

"Hey. Did you have fun shopping?"

"I did." Lily said beforee Madam Rosmerta came and asked for their orders. A/N: Madam Rosmerta would be Madam Rosmerta's (From the current HP books) mother. That sounds very confusing…

"Did you see the new shipment of candy in Honeydukes? They have five new flavors for the Sugar Quills!"

"I know, I bought some of the kiwi Strawberry and Strawberry-Banana." Lily replied.

"So, how's the love life going?" Erica asked after a long pause with a wink and a jerk of her head.

Lily looked behind her in the direction she indicated and saw, near the back of the pub, the Marauders. James was facing her, but he was laughing at something that Sirius had said. His cheeks were flushed from the heat and his eyes sparkled with mischief and laughter; his already messy black hair was windswept, no doubt, from being outside.

She hadn't realized she was staring for so long until Alice poked her really hard in the side, causing her to yelp in surprise. "What?"

"What are you staring at?" The light haired girl asked in a teasing voice.

Lily's face flared with heat and she was glad that they had just came in from outside since the warmth would make her cheeks a reddish color anyway. "Nothing."

"Nothing? I don't think that a certain James Potter is nothing." Erica chirped happily.

Lily didn't know if her face could get any redder. She sunk down into her seat, wishing her friends gazes would leave her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right." Erica drawled, winking at her again.

Lily rolled her eyes, then instinctively let her eyes wander off towards the table in the back. Her eyes locked onto mocha colored ones and she felt her heart thump violently against her chest in that half-second. James' eyes widened slightly in surprise and Lily could have sworn she saw his cheeks flush.

The girl shook her head slightly and averted her eyes away from his. She looked pointedly at Erica and Alice and said, "I'm going back to Hogwarts. I'll see you later."

Picking up her bags, she stood up after one last glare at the girls that were her friends and wove her way around the crowd, not seeing the smug looks on her friends faces and the amused looks from the Marauders.

* * *

Hermione couldn't believe it. She never thought that she'd be more shocked in her life but here she was, in company of Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape, in the Hogs Head, having a civil conversation.

She was equally shocked about what she'd found out not too long ago about Lucius. _The_ Lucius Malfoy, Voldemort's number one henchman in the future, didn't _want_ to join his forces. Didn't! Hermione wasn't even sure if she was in her own world anymore; nothing made sense. She had always thought that Lucius had joined the Death Eaters willingly. Had he really not wanted to be one?

Was it possible that he was as loyal to Voldemort as she herself? The girl groaned inwardly as she felt a headache coming onto her. Every time that she had met Lucius in her own time, he had been a royal pain in the arse, not to mention, devoted to the darkest wizard in existence. Had he possibly been manipulated to turn to the wrong side? This hero act was going to be a large challenge…

Oh the confusion.

Hermione laid her head in her hands and groaned slightly, drawing the attention of the two boys.

"Something wrong?" Lucius asked in a cool voice.

"Not really." She lied. "Headache."

Lucius nodded, then turned back to Severus. "So, after Julie told that to Father, he said that he _might_ let me go to Romania with her during the holiday's as long as I'm back before New Year's…"

Hermione closed her eyes against her palms and thought once more. If they didn't want to join Voldemort, they would have to think of something soon that will be able to get them away from the wrong people. Her first thought would have been to go to Dumbledore, but she didn't want to add anything onto his shoulders. He already had to deal with the Order, and herself. She was scheduled to meet up with the rest of the Order at the beginning of Christmas break; which she didn't mind since she didn't have anywhere to go.

Since Dumbledore was not an option, and neither was anyone else, the three of them would have to think of something themselves. Hermione knew that once the two boys loyalties were shown by the next year, they would have to put up some resistance against the Death Eaters. No doubt that Lucius' father would go after him, along with Snape's.

_But what happened to Severus being a spy?_ A voice in her head questioned. _I might as well give voice to the thought…_

"Hey… I was thinking about something." Hermione said quietly so as not to be overheard. There were remarkably quite a few people in the pub, probably because it was cold outside. Most of them were older customers, but there were a few Hogwarts students scattered about.

"What?" Severus looked at her, waiting for an answer.

"Well… You two don't wish to serve Voldemort--" Lucius hissed at her and told her not to say his name, but she rolled her eyes and continued, "What would one of you guys think about being a spy for the light?"

There was silence that followed this until Lucius said coldly, "What do you take us as? That'd pretty much be a death wish!"

Hermione shook her head slightly, eyeing Severus out of the corner of her eyes. This would be harder than she thought… "For your information, there are people who have done it; still are in fact," She lied, knowing she couldn't just say, 'yeah, the older Severus is a spy!'

"The Dark Lord would see through that though." Severus put in quietly.

"Not unless you learned Occlumency."

"That's near impossible." Lucius sneered. "Only some of the most powerful wizards can fully use Occlumency."

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh and stared Lucius in the eyes before saying, "Just so you know, I've had practice with Occlumency. One of my best friends had to learn it, and in the meantime, I helped him with it, therefore, I learned it as well. I'm not great with it, but with practice, I can get better. If I can do it, then I know that either of you two could also. Both of you can, if you tried."

"_You_ know Occlumency?" Severus questioned, a slight hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yes, to an extent. By blocking out your mind, you can't really tell if your barriers are strong enough to be broken through, but maybe, if you two wish, I will try to teach you, and if it goes well, we can ask Dumbledore to test it for us with Legilimency. After quite a bit of practice, you will be able to do it with ease. The only thing though, is that we don't want to go to Dumbledore unless it's absolutely necessary."

Both Slytherin's sat silently, thinking over what she said. Eventually, Severus spoke up. "I suppose that could be worth it. The only problem is learning this before the holidays…"

"Well, we'll use this as plan A." She smiled slightly, "We'll think up plan B, so that if we can't master this by the holidays, we'll have an alternative."

"Who will be the spy though?" Lucius asked.

"Well, that'd be up to you two."

More silence.

Hermione sighed and rested her forehead against the rough tabletop. They were a stubborn lot.

"You don't have to pick which one of you will do it right now, but I suggest that whoever is better at learning Occlumency should do the job. I wouldn't put you in immediate danger either; I think I can come up with something that you can use in case you get found out or if you're in trouble…"

"I'll give this thought, Granger." Lucius told her.

"Alright but we still need a plan B. If neither of you want to go through with plan A, then we still need an alternative."

"I'll disown my family." Lucius said lazily and leaned back against the wall behind him.

"Touché." The other boy drummed his fingers against the tabletop quietly.

"Great. Plan B: Disown families." Hermione said dryly. _They're hopeless…._

"I don't see another way around it. Either way, it's a do or don't situation." Lucius commented coolly.

"I guess you're right…" Hermione sighed once more. "This is going to be a long school year…"

"Oh?"

"I've gotten myself into a right mess. Who knew saving the wizarding world would be so complicated…" She mumbled, not realizing what she said until the last moment then clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Who said you have to save anything?" Severus asked with raised eyebrows.

She groaned loudly and banged her head against the table a few times before looking up, "It was in a prophecy I was told about. It pretty much said that I would come here and defeat Voldemort."

"Defeat him?" Lucius laughed coldly. "You're just a teenager who's not even out of school yet. You don't look powerful enough to _defeat him_."

"So?" She hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. "I've done enough in my life to know what I'm capable of. I've gone against the Ministry more times than you could think to help fight against Voldemort! I've even done illegal stuff that could throw me in Azkaban but that never stopped me. I'll use whatever means necessary to kill him, even if I do end up in Azkaban in the end."

Both of the Slytherin's eyes widened at her small rant. Hermione couldn't stop herself from saying what slipped out of her mouth, but she didn't really care. They weren't being spied on at the moment and they would eventually find things out; so why not let it slip?

"You've done illegal stuff?" Severus inquired.

"Who hasn't?"

"Good point." He mumbled.

"What have you done that's illegal?" The blonde haired boy asked while linking his hands together behind his head.

"I've used a time-turner illegally, hid an top-of-the-list escaped convict accused of murder from the Ministry and the Dementors from Azkaban, and I've snuck into the Ministries Department of Mysteries. I've done other minor things that wouldn't really cause me to go to Azkaban, but none of it is really a concern to you." She told him in a calm voice.

"Is there anything you haven't done?"

"Actually, yes." She said thoughtfully. "I never got to go down into the Chamber of Secrets."

"But the Chamber of Secrets is a myth, not to mention that it's in _Hogwarts._ You've been here for only a few days and you're complaining that you haven't been in the Chamber of Secrets!" Severus cried out indignantly.

"Yes, well… It is real, and I know where the entrance is." She huffed and turned away from him.

"What?" They practically yelled in unison.

Half the pub turned in their direction from the outburst. Hermione huffed again and stood up. It was a little after noon, and she wanted to get some shopping done before she went back to the castle; that is why she came here in the first place.

"I'm going to do a bit of shopping now. If you want, you can stay here--"

"We'll come." Severus said, feeling uncomfortable from all the stares they were now receiving.

"I suppose I'll go too." Lucius replied and stood up in a fluid motion that caused his platinum hair to swing lazily over his shoulders which he just brushed back.

The odd trio once again departed, earning odd stares from quite a few of the occupants of the pub, including the bar tender who was in the process of 'cleaning' a mug with a dirty rag.

* * *

Seven shops, two awkward snowball fights, and three rests later, Hermione, Severus, and Lucius made their way back to Hogwarts, each exhausted from the days events. It was starting to get dark outside, darker by far with the thick overcast, and snow was still coming down in a thick blanket, concealing everything that was three feet away from someone.

Hardly anyone was in Hogsmeade now, everyone having gone back to the castle for dinner. The gusts of wind that hit them was arctic and bitter, causing Hermione to burry her face against her scarf every time it hit. She had tried offering Lucius his cloak back countless times but he refused, telling her he had a warming charm placed on himself.

They were now nearing the gates that provided entry to the Hogwarts grounds. Hermione was doing all she could not to run ahead to the castle, but she stayed with the group. Her eyes were stinging painfully because of the cold air and her hair whipped around her unceremoniously.

"I'm cold." She whined, wrapping her arms around herself.

She heard someone huff, and then Lucius said, "Yes, yes, we know. Bloody Gryffindor's."

She rolled her eyes behind the two boys who were making their way across the grounds. "You know, all three of us can't just walk in together. That'd be really noticeable, especially since over half the school will be in the Great Hall."

She heard someone groan in exasperation. "I don't know about you but I don't feel like standing out in this bloody weather!"

"Then you guys hurry up and go ahead, I'll go in a few minutes later." Hermione yelled to them over the roar of the wind.

"It's your funeral." She heard one of them mutter.

"What about your cloak?" The girl asked the blonde in front of her.

"Just keep it for now. I have others; you can give it to Severus to give to me during a lesson."

"Right. Well, hurry up before I change my mind." Hermione told them. Severus glanced back at her, then with a nod, hurried off. Lucius did the same, following behind him until both black clad figures disappeared from her sight.

With a sigh, Hermione pulled her scarf up higher and tightened Lucius' cloak around her small figure. She mentally scolded herself for letting the boys go before her, but she knew they wouldn't have it any other way; they were Slytherin's, after all.

The girl stopped walking for a moment to look around her. To her right, it was darker than to her left and she figured she was close to the Forbidden Forest. There was hardly any more light left in the sky, but the white of the snow gave off a gentle glow, keeping complete darkness at bay.

Hermione blew on her hands and shifted from foot to foot, wishing that she knew how to use a warming charm. She decided to wait under one of the nearby trees, hoping that it would block off some of the wind and snow.

Leaning against the truck of a large oak, she closed her eyes against the onslaught of snow. It hadn't even been a minute yet and the time just seemed to tick away slowly. _Oh well, _she chided to herself, _I can think properly now._

She mulled over the days events, going from her conversation with Severus, the encounter with Lucius, the conversation at the pub, and so on.

The irony of everything was astounding. Never in her life would she have thought that Lucius Malfoy wouldn't want to be a Death Eater. She had grown up, learning to hate him and anyone that he was associated with.

Could she save both him and Severus from the darkness that had encased them in her own time? It would be a tricky thing to do, but she was sure she could pull it off. As long as they stood up for themselves against their fathers, then they wouldn't have much to worry about-- besides Voldemort.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed, annoyed at herself. Watching the vapor of her breath, she kicked off of the tree and made her way towards the entrance to the castle. It hadn't been five minutes yet, but by the time she got there, it would be past that.

After fighting her way through the thick snow on the ground, she found herself standing outside of the double doors. She could faintly hear the chatter and laughter coming from the Great Hall, indicating that dinner was already in progress. Her stomach growled slightly and she opened the doors, the warmth and aroma of food welcoming her back from her very odd day in Hogsmeade.

* * *

A/N: So what do you guys think? Confusing? Ridiculous? What do you think about Lucius' loyalties? I sort of rushed this chapter (like I do with most, but hey, as long as it's here, right?) so if it seems to be off, just tell me and I'll redo it when I have the time. Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read this! You guys are the best! Since I'm going on a little 'vacation' with a friend of mine, I wont be updating for at least a week. Sorry! I'll update as soon as possible though. I'll probably even write some while on the road. Anyways, have a great Thanksgiving everyone! - Min 


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related.

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A/N: Oh! Jeez, this chapter was hard to type! A storm passed through and there is 62 mph winds and it keeps knocking the power out! Every time I try to type, the power will go out and everything that I had typed at the time would be erased! So, I'd have to re-type it constantly. It's horrible. But I got it done -- hooray for me! -- and here it is. Also! I have a new story I'm writing:

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**Where are the Children**

**Summary: AU-On the night of Halloween, Voldemort attacks the Potter's residence when Harry is a year old. Lily and James are banished to death, whereas Harry and his older brother, Alex, survive and make their way through life-- but with a few twists. Posing as Dumbledore's grandson, can Harry fulfill his destiny?**

**Overall story: Harry and his brother Alex were separated when their parents died on Halloween. With Harry having split up Voldemort's body and soul, it would be dangerous to have the baby out in the open for any of the Dark Lord's followers to come across. Albus Dumbledore has plans -- plans that involve taking Alex Potter to the Dursley's, causing Harry Potter's 'disappearance,' and acquiring a grandson that does not share his blood. Dumbledore thought it was the perfect strategy -- until he realized that raising a child not of his own was harder than it had first seemed.**

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If any of you guys are interested in reading it, and do read it, tell me what you think! Please? Anywho -- on with the story!

**Thanks go to **Torri-Chiobie, wally4ever, LaxGoalie, sln1987, Reanne1102, jeez claudine, Amareth's Shadow, Evil Cat Hater, Hermione-Leia Skywalker-Potter, Blossom1098, amrawo, Lila Mae, Katsheswims, The Unknown Marauder, LoveroftheTwins326, roses4u, Dark Compassion, LunaLovegoss, swirlywhirlynutcase, childoftheorient, little mimi, and Emi-Bum **for the wonderful reviews!**

**Any questions you asked will be emailed to you because of the new rules of FF dot net**

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Something that came up during one of my reviews was, 'Will Lucius, Severus, and Hermione become the new Golden Trio?' I decided I'll leave it up to my reviewers to decide if you'd like them three to become the new 'Golden Trio.' If you want them to become that, then you may suggest a name for their 'group' and I might choose it. So depending on the poll, I might or might not make a new trio. Either way, I can work it into my plot!

**Poll:**

Yes: 0

No: 0

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Seasons Change

By: xScenex

Chapter 11

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Remus reached over and grabbed a pitcher of pumpkin juice, filling up his goblet while staring lazily at his plate. Sirius and James had dragged all of them back to Hogwarts eventually, though Remus didn't mind much because of the cold, so that they could get to dinner. The others acted as if they wouldn't see food again in their lifetime, since they were literally, in his opinion, shoveling food into their mouths. It was actually quite disturbing to watch….

"Wha'sawong Moo'y?" He heard Sirius say through a mouthful of pie.

"What?" He questioned his friend with a raised eyebrow. He hated when his friends spoke with their mouths full.

The dark haired boy swallowed thickly, took a drink of his pumpkin juice, then repeated, "What's wrong Moony?"

"Nothing." He replied truthfully. "Why do you ask?"

"You're quiet. Not to mention you've hardly eaten anything!"

"Just because I don't eat everything in front of me like it's going to disappear the moment I set my eyes on it, doesn't mean I'm hardly eating anything. You should try it sometime." He cajoled innocently and took a bite out of his treacle tart.

James sniffed from Sirius' left, making a show of 'hurt pride.' "How can you say that, Moony? I thought we were friends?"

"We are." Remus said dryly and flicked a pea at the boy in front of him, "You're just letting the food get to your head."

"Oh, oh, oh!" Sirius crowed and slammed a hand against the table, causing forks and other utensils to clatter about a bit. "But you can't say that, my dear Remus, for you let those _books_ of yours get to your head! Ah hah, you two-timing, good for nothing… good for nothing… library worm!"

"Library worm?" He snorted. "Don't you mean, 'book worm?' I believe that would be the proper noun for it."

"Book worm, library worm, they all fit into the same category," James told him offhandedly. "The point _is_ -- You my friend, are…."

"Are what?"

"You know what, I don't even remember what we were arguing about." He told him seriously, and Remus couldn't help but laugh outright at the look on his friends face.

"You're hopeless, you know that?"

"'Course. None of us would have it any other way, right Padfoot?"

"Right-o, Prongsie."

"Stop calling me that."

"Why? It fits you, you know." Sirius flashed his friend one of famous smiles.

"I suppose I _could_ start calling you Ickle Sirikins. That fits you too." James replied sinisterly and tapped at his chin.

"NO!"

Remus chuckled at his friends as he let his eyes dart around the Great Hall. He still hadn't seen Hermione since that morning. Did something happen to her?

He was about to turn back to his plate when he saw the main doors open. He turned, expecting to see the mysterious brown haired girl he'd grown fond of during the past week, but instead saw Snape and Malfoy. With a scowl, the russet haired boy turned around. Why was he getting so worked up? Just because Hermione wasn't there, that didn't mean he had to get aggravated.

"-- and then he looked into the mirror! When he saw that his hair was orange, he screamed like a girl and _literally _fainted!" Sirius barked out, tears of mirth in his eyes.

James was doubling over in laughter at whatever his friend was saying and Peter was laughing too, though not as riotously as the other two. Remus grinned slightly, knowing what Sirius was talking about. He had to admit, Sirius was one of the best pranksters that Hogwarts had ever seen.

"Moony, quit pouting!" James whined from across the table, "It's no fun when you just sit and pout. Do something! Blimey, yell at us, lecture us, do anything--"

"No lectures!" Sirius looked fearfully at the other boys around him. "Remember last time? And the time before that?"

"And then the other time before that other time--" Peter joined in.

"Oh, shut up." Remus laughed, rolling his eyes. "Who would keep you in line if I wasn't around? If it wasn't for me, you'd probably already be expelled."

"We have more sense--"

"Than that!" Sirius finished for James.

"And _anyways_, I'm not pouting." Remus told them.

"Then what do you call it?"

"There's nothing to call it since I'm not doing anything."

"Moony, you know, it doesn't help to keep things to yourse--"

"Hey!" Sirius yelled, "It's his Lily!"

James dropped his fork at the sudden outburst, then glared at his friend. Sirius burst out into laughter and Remus ignored them. He turned to see Hermione coming into the Great Hall, cheeks flushed from the cold. Her hair was windswept and was dotted with flakes of snow.

"Oi, 'Mione!" James called out randomly and said in a singsong voice, "Remus has been mi-i-i-ssing you!"

Said boy flushed darkly at the accusation and turned his eyes away from Hermione who had just looked their way. Of course, he wasn't looking, so he didn't see the bright blush that formed on her cheeks. Remus tried to glare at his friends, but they just grinned cheekily at him, causing him to roll his eyes as his lips quirked upwards slightly.

"I hate you guys." He said under his breath when he broke out into a full grin.

"What was that?" Sirius eyed his friend with mock hurt. "That's what we get for getting your Lily to come join us for dinner? Pfft, see if we ever do _that _again!"

James actually fell out of his chair as Sirius stood up with his hands on his hips, and when he had emphasized the word 'that' he did a little hip thrust. Remus' eyes widened at the scene and behind him, he heard a girl start laughing. Turning around, he saw Hermione practically doubling over and holding her side.

"Sirius! Do you know you act like a girl?" She managed to say when she took a seat next to Remus.

"He screams like one too." James added and winked at Hermione.

Remus watched as she rolled her eyes at him and then began to pile her plate up with some food. Sirius sat back down, now visibly pouting at the accusations of his friends. James on the other hand was grinning madly at the others, and Peter was watching from the sidelines with an amused look on his face.

"So, where were you today?" Sirius asked out of the blue.

"I was just hanging around a few people in Hogsmeade." She replied casually.

"We didn't see you anywhere."

"Well, I'm not surprised," She teased. "I bet you were in The Three Broomsticks with all the pretty girls, huh?"

"_Hey,_ just so you know, we were not with all the pretty girls." The boy countered. "Though we _were _at The Three Broomsticks for the majority of the time, until James tried to follow Lily out and tripped over tons of people, causing a chain reaction so that over half of the pub fell over. It was quite amusing to see actually."

Hermione looked at the boy with glasses, amusement clearly visible on her face. "Why am I not surprised?"

"What is this? A conspiracy! I swear, everyone has something against me. I mean, remember that time in third year when Lily always knew when I was coming, before I even got fifteen feet close to her? She made _sure _I couldn't talk to her, and then I find out that it was Remus helping her! I mean come on! Then! There was that time when the house elves ran out of lattice! How can you run out of lattice? Not to mention that time that Sirius stole _all _of my right socks, leaving me with the left ones. Then he asks, 'How do you know which is left and right? They're just socks!' Oh ho, one who doesn't know their socks should be thrown into one of those muggle machines that dry things! A dryer I believe they call them. Those muggles always complain about their socks always going missing in there! Sirius would--"

"Enough!" Several voices called out, four of them belonging to the other Marauders and Hermione.

Remus coughed slightly, causing James to flush a bright red as he realized he'd been ranting. "Er… Sorry?"

Remus covered his face with his hands and mumbled, "James, only you would have those problems."

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Another three weeks passed by, though rather quickly in Hermione's opinion. Nothing very interesting had happened since, except for the enormous snowball fight that went on between all four classes because James and Sirius declared 'war' on them, and also _little_ argument that she had with James and Sirius for once again talking to Severus in classes. What ticked them off more was when they saw her give Lucius' cloak to Severus. They asked her what she was doing, and she had replied as, 'I was just giving back a borrowed cloak' which made James go pale and Sirius started to yell at her.

She had been saved, of course, by Remus. She noticed though that he seemed a bit hurt by what was going on. She had thanked him sincerely, then went off to the library to meet up with Severus as she had planned a few days ago.

That's how the days went now. She hung around the Marauders during most classes, in the halls, during meals, and whenever she was in the common room whenever they were there. She hung around with Lily whenever they were up in their dormitory, sometimes in the common room, in classes, and sometimes in the library. Lily had even joined her and Severus while they were studying a few times, and she promised not to mention it to anyone. At night, before turning in prior to curfew, she would usually meet up with Severus and/or Lucius in the dungeons to talk or just practice with spells or potions.

Hermione was also lecturing the two Slytherin's about their loyalties and had told them what being on Dumbledore's side would prove. After two of the three past weeks, she was able to switch their views around completely, and from what she could see, they would be two of the most loyal followers Dumbledore would ever have.

Not to mention, the Occlumency lessons were going well. To her surprise, Lucius was doing a better job at the lessons than Severus. But the blond boy didn't really like the idea of being a spy, neither did Severus. Then another, more simpler plan came to Hermione's head.

Dobby.

The House Elf -- loyal to the Malfoy's.

She had asked Malfoy about him and was pleased to find out that the House Elf was eager to be freed, but he still followed his father's wishes. After talking to the boy for a while, she managed to get him to order Dobby to spy on the Malfoy manor, Abraxas Malfoy -- Lucius' father -- and whenever he could, at Death Eater meetings. A few days later, at one of the get togethers in the dungeons, she met a remarkably younger Dobby for the first time in this era.

After speaking with the house elf, with the help of Lucius, they managed to get the small elf to agree to their wishes, and Lucius said that if he did what they asked for the time being, then they would free him soon. The elf was all too happy. That's when things started to get into gear.

Life was awkward.

Especially when Dumbledore would randomly pull her out of class sometimes to talk to her about a recent attack, or about some urgent news he just received. Most of the time, Hermione was able to help out, but there had been a few times that she couldn't recall anything about it from when she was in her time. Things were beginning to change in the timeline.

She still had to ask him about the strange markings on her stomach. It hadn't come up yet, and every time she had been around him, he was busy and the business they were tending to was always urgent. Of course, her friends always questioned her about it all, but she brushed it aside, telling them it wasn't anything that they needed to know at the time being, or that it wasn't important.

In classes, Hermione was really starting to like Defense. Professor Ian was a nice man, and he was actually a great teacher. She had taken a liking to him, as most of the class had, and even Severus and Lucius agreed that he knew what he was doing. Though, most of what they covered in that class, Hermione already knew.

That was the problem. Hermione hated sitting in class practically doing nothing while the rest of the class were either trying to get a spell right, or they were studying. Ah, one of the many disadvantages about coming from the future.

That also came up a few times between the Marauders. They would often ask about the future, but Hermione had usually declined in telling them anything, afraid that it might lead to other awkward questions. She had told that to them a few times, and they got the point -- or at least for that time being. They always asked again later on sometime.

Moving on, Hermione had even volunteered in some of the Marauders pranks in the past twenty-one days. She hadn't known that Remus was that big with all the pranks done, but when she was in the thick of the situation, she realized that Remus actually did a big part in every prank. Even Peter did a large part in every prank. The girl finally got a taste of what it was like to be Fred and George.

Before she realized it, more weeks passed, and Christmas break was upon them. The next day, most of the student body would be leaving for home to be with their families during the Holidays. Hermione knew that Severus and Lucius had plans on staying, along with a rather odd group of Slytherin's that she found out didn't want to get the dark mark either. Among those were Jason Parkinson, Regulus Black, Narcissa Black, and, surprisingly, a boy from Hufflepuff named Michael Benson.

Would she ever cease to be surprised? Regulus Black, she knew, had been killed by Death Eaters eventually after his reluctance to follow Voldemort, though she never knew the reasons in why he was reluctant. Jason wasn't a big shock either, neither was Narcissa. Narcissa, Hermione suspected, had only agreed to things because she was married to Lucius in the future.

Hermione prayed that she knew what she was doing. All of them were to get their dark marks, except for Narcissa, before New Years day. That's why they were all staying behind, though they knew that their families would be furious.

Eventually, the Marauders asked her if she was going home for the holidays. Hermione told them no, and they offered to see if she could go with them, but Hermione said that she had business with Dumbledore over the break. Lily asked also, but Hermione told her the same thing, which she accepted. In turn, Hermione asked Lily about how far she'd gotten with James and the letters. She found out that Lily had put off 'meeting' James until about February so that they could meet up on Valentine's Day.

So then, it was the night before everyone left for home and the Marauders, Hermione, Lily -- who had to be dragged over, Alice, and Erica, were sitting inside of the Marauder's dormitory in a type of circle on the floor. Alice was sitting next to Erica, who sat next to Sirius who sat next to Peter. James was sitting on Peter's other side and Lily was beside him, much to her annoyance and his delight; Hermione was beside her, and Remus sat between her and Alice.

James thought it would be fun to tell scary stories with no lights on except for -- how original -- their wands with the Lumos spell, and Sirius agreed. Remus just shrugged about it all, and Peter actually seemed somewhat frightened to do so. Alice was excited, and so was Erica. Lily looked scared, and Hermione was being neutral about it all. She had never really been around when people told ghost stories.

At the moment, Sirius was talking in a low, and quite scary, whisper while he moved around the room, walking silently behind the group. He was at a very tense moment in the story, and Hermione glanced around the room. Lily was actually gripping tightly onto the pillow, eyes wide and body rigid while she listened to Sirius going on about the story. Peter had actually hid his head in a pillow, and James was calm as ever. Alice was gripping onto Erica, who was doing the same to the other girl, both of them hanging on every word the dark haired boy said. Remus wasn't really paying much attention as he was starting to drift off while leaning back against his bed, but Hermione was starting to feel spooked. She looked behind her out of nervousness, seeing the darkness under the bed and then her eyes flicked from corner to corner, trying to pinpoint if anything was in there with them. The howling of the wind outside wasn't helping either.

The girl shivered slightly, then involuntarily scooted closer to Remus, looking once more behind her. She felt the boy tense up beside her for a moment before he relaxed, but she didn't pay much mind to it as her attention was on the dark shadows in the room.

"But Jacob didn't listen to his brother, and walked over to his bed, despite the noises coming from under it. He said to his brother, 'It's nothing. I'll show you!' Then he knelt down on his knees and pulled up the bed skirt. He didn't see anything for a moment, but suddenly, red eyes flickered open and… _then something grabbed him_!"

Hermione hadn't been paying attention to where Sirius was in the room and he suddenly appeared next to her and grabbed her roughly at the end of his rant. Being caught off guard while being scared didn't fit well with Hermione, who shrieked loudly and literally latched onto the unprepared Remus.

"Sirius!" She shrieked loudly, burying her face against Remus' arm.

James was roaring with laughter, Alice and Erica were giggling, though it was obvious they were glad that the boy hadn't done that to them, and Lily had actually scooted closer to James at the outbursts so that she was almost leaning against him.

Hermione didn't take any of this in of course, as she was trying to control her breathing and shaking. _That's it, _she thought to herself, _I'm **never** going to sit in a room full of people who're telling scary stories ever again!_

"Jeez Hermione, I didn't mean to scare you _that _bad." Sirius told her while ruffling his hair as James burst into laughter once more.

The brown haired girl looked up at the guilty looking boy and glared, "Why did you do that?"

"Well, it's all part of the fun and games, love."

"Fun and games, my arse." She cursed under her breath as Sirius grinned at her then resumed walking around while talking in a low voice again.

Hermione wasn't listening at the moment. She was still angry at being embarrassed like that. She sat up slightly, taking most of her weight off of the surprised and red-faced Remus. "Sorry."

"It's fine." He told her in a soft voice.

Hermione watched as he reached back a bit towards the bed behind them and tugged the red comforter off of it with little difficulty, then, to Hermione's amusement, he wrapped it around her gently.

She rose an eyebrow at the boy, questioning him, but he just avoided eye contact. Hermione inwardly grinned and decided to make herself even more comfortable. She leaned against Remus so that the back of her head was resting against his shoulder. She didn't see his face, but she knew his cheeks had turned a bright shade of red.

Soon, the girl was unaware that she was drifting off to sleep, all voices of the story telling muffled in her ears as she buried herself deeper into the warmth of Remus' blanket and snuggled up against him without realizing it, or even caring.

* * *

It was nearly two hours after the escapade of Sirius scaring Hermione. James had just finished telling a remotely scary story, and they decided to call it quits for the night, since all of them would have to get up early to pack their things for the holidays. When they started to get up and move about in the dark room, none of them noticed the two figures curled up together until they lit turned on a light.

Remus sat, leaning back against his bed with Hermione resting beside him, her head laying on his shoulder. Remus' head had tilted downwards slightly in his slumber, causing it to rest against the girls brown locks. His arm had unconsciously wrapped itself around the girl, pulling her closer to him in their sleep.

"Aw, lookie here, Prongsie. Lil' Moony is all grown up and in love!" Sirius cooed as he tossed a pillow back onto his bed that he'd attacked James with an hour prior.

James grinned at his friend, "We knew that he liked her."

Sirius smiled back at his friends, and said in an undertone that was completely serious, "It's about time for him to find someone."

"I agree," mused James as he looked down at the sleeping form of Lily.

Sirius, instead of looking at any of the sleeping girls, began rummaging around in his trunk until he found a camera. Pulling it out, he caught James' eye and grinned mischievously. Tiptoeing over to where Remus and Hermione lay, he aimed the camera and took a picture. The flash of light didn't wake them up, but the werewolf shifted slightly and tightened his hold around the girl, who in turn, cuddled closer in her sleep.

The two remaining marauders who were awake smiled at one another. Sirius took another picture, though at a different angle. "We can tease him about this for forever!"

"Yeah, but in the meantime, what do we do about them?" James asked and pointed to the four sleeping forms. Erica and Alice had already left the dormitory, Peter lay sprawled out on the floor, snoring slightly.

"Well, you wake Pete up, and I'll get Remus up. Then you can find out what to do about Lily, and Remus'll find out what to do about Hermione."

"Right." James mumbled, then walked over to the form of Peter laying on the floor.

Sirius went over to Remus, prodding him in the side where he was ticklish. The werewolf's eyes snapped open then, unfocused. When he saw the face of his friend staring at him, he shook his head and tried to get up, but was shocked to feel a comfortable weight against him. Looking down, he saw a brown haired girl curled up against him.

"Did you have a nice nap, Moony?" Teased Sirius, who winked at the boy.

"Uh. I-I--" Remus began to stutter but shut his mouth when Hermione began to stir.

"You need to find out what you're going to do about her. I don't think you two would like sleeping like this all night; you'll get bad cramps in your necks."

In the end, the boys thought it would be best to just let the girls sleep, so James levitated Lily onto his bed, and Remus did the same with Hermione. After making sure that the girls were comfortable, the boys transfigured themselves mattresses on the floor with blankets and they all decided to go to sleep.

* * *

Upon laying down in the dark room, Remus wrapped his covers tightly around his body. He wasn't exactly cold, it was more of the fact that he was missing the warmth and weight of Hermione laying beside him. He knew it wasn't right for him to think of her in any way other than a friend, but he couldn't help but miss the feeling; it was something that he'd longed for.

Sighing inwardly, Remus rolled over on his side, burying his face against his pillow and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Hermione yawned and stretched as she began to wake up. She felt oddly refreshed and comfortable. The girl opened her eyes slightly to look at her bedside table and see what time it was, but when she looked over, she saw that her clock was missing. Where was her clock? She turned to look the other way, and saw the red hair that belonged to Lily sticking out from under her blanket. Nothing seemed out of place…

She pulled her blankets off, oddly enough, she found that she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday. _What happened last night…? _Then she froze, spotting a head of light brown hair sticking out from under a blanket on the floor.

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized that she had fallen asleep the night before when the boys were telling scary stories and that she was more than likely laying in Remus' bed. Groaning inwardly, she slipped off of her bed and made her way to where Lily was.

"Lily." She whispered as quietly as she could, seeing that James was laying on the floor next to the bed.

She heard a soft muffled voice, but nothing else.

"Lily!"

"Huh?" The girl pulled her blanket down off of her head and blinked blurrily up at Hermione. "What is it?"

"Lily, we're not in our dormitories." Hermione jerked her head towards the boy laying on the floor.

The redhead shifted so that she could look down, then her face paled at a rather fast pace. "W-We're in the b-boys dormitories still?"

"Uh huh."

"B-But…"

"We fell asleep last night and they didn't want to wake us up." Hermione rolled her eyes a bit and flopped down on the edge of James' bed that was now being occupied by Lily. She decided to point it out-- "You know, you slept in James' bed."

"What!"

"Don't 'what' me. You should be happy." Hermione teased her friend. Lily was now blushing a color that matched her hair, and she mused that the girl could probably make the Weasley's proud by it. "So… how do you think we should wake them up?"

"Huh?"

"Wake them up." Hermione said, pointing to each of the boys in turn.

"Oh." The girl looked around for a moment, unsure, then a gleeful look appeared on her face. "I've always wanted to get James back for all those times he'd prank me."

Hermione grinned, "So what's the plan?"

Lily looked at Hermione, grinning evilly, "I have the perfect plan…."


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the HP books and/or movies is not mine.**

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A/N: Sorry about the delay of getting this chapter out. I've been caught up with things and this chapter was a bit hard to write. I'm starting to get dispirited about continuing with my stories, but I think that's because writers block might be coming up on me and also because of some recent news. I hope not though, I'll get frustrated with writers block; also, I do plan on continuing my stories -- I have no intention of abandoning them. **ALSO: **My story, 'Where are the Children' will be put on temporary hold until I catch up on this story a bit. Everyone's reviews are really helping to keep me up with the story too. Thank you guys so much! Everyone who has stuck with me while I've been writing this, thank you. You guys are wonderful. So.. Here's the story!

**Thanks **Torri-Chiobie, Katsheswims, LoveroftheTwins326, little mimi, swirlywhirlynutcase, jeez claudine, Bluefirestarlily, LunaLovegoss, poweroflove14, Haley Y., I think i'm drowning, amrawo, wally4ever, Evil Cat Hater, Natural Anthem, FireWatergirl, Emi-Bum, go11um, childoftheorient, Angelic Bladez, amber lock, The Insane Imortal Dragon, Ella, HMWayre, Cissy, Crazy4Cocopuffs, Simple Elegance, and Fire phoenix **for the wonderful reviews!**

Any questioned involving this story that you ask in your reviews will be replied to in emails due to the new rules of FF dot com

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**Poll for 'Should Hermione, Severus, and Lucius become to new Golden Trio?'**

**Yes: 4**

**No: 5**

I'm going to probably wait two more chapters before the final decision is made. Thanks to all who voted!

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Seasons Change

By: Min

a.k.a. xScenex

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Previous: 

"_Oh." The girl looked around for a moment, unsure, then a gleeful look appeared on her face. "I've always wanted to get James back for all those times he'd prank me."_

_Hermione grinned, "So what's the plan?"_

_Lily looked at Hermione, grinning evilly, "I have the perfect plan…."_

* * *

(A/N: The prank scene was written by my friend, Heather. I'm not really sure about it, but I let her write it anyways, and I'm going to use the scene, because I couldn't think of anything original after I realized that what I was going to use has been used before.) 

And so, the prank was planned.

They had thought for a long time until they came up with the idea of having the boys dream about their most hated enemy or a most feared individual. That was only the beginning of it all. Lily came up with the first and most basic part of the plan, whereas Hermione came up with the more fun part. The boys, dreaming of their most feared or hated person, would have a 'romantic' hallucination about said hated persona.

Hermione and Lily tiptoed over to the door of the dormitory so that they could get a good look at the boys sleeping forms on both beds, and floor. Each girl looked at one another, then nodded in unison before both grinned and pointed their wands towards the boys. Lily got the beds on the right that consisted of Remus and James while Hermione got the beds on the left that belonged to Sirius and Peter. They counted to three, then muttered the spell that would activate the prank.

The girls waited for a few moments, seeing the boys twitch in their sleep at first, then they began to mumble in their slumber. They could barely hold in their laughter as most of the Marauders began talking none to quietly to the people in their dreams. The funniest part was when Sirius started to sing out loud.

The girls, trying their hardest to stay quiet, had to lean against one another to keep from falling over. That proved to be difficult though, because soon, all four of the boys sat up as if they'd been slapped, either screaming or gagging loudly with their eyes wide.

Sirius literally went as far as falling off of his bed, screaming something about 'bloody Snivellus'. James was staring in horror at the wall in front of him, Remus was pretty much in the same state, and Peter was blubbering under his blankets about 'creepy Headmasters'.

The girls, unable to contain their laughter in any longer, let out loud guffaws that made the boys look up at them in confusion and bewilderment.

"W-what?" James asked, eyes wide.

"Huh?" Hermione choked out.

"What're you…. Oh yeah," he seemed to just remember something.

"So, did you four have nice dreams?" Lily giggled, looking pointedly at James who flushed redder than Lily's hair.

"I take that as a yes." Hermione grinned as she tried to catch her breath. "Oh, you should have heard the things you were saying."

"What?" Sirius yelped from the floor, "What did we say?"

"Oh, a lot of things actually," Lily teased.

The boys stared at them in horror. "You've got to be kidding me," Sirius squeaked.

"So who'd you dream about?" Asked Hermione from where she stood.

"Wh -- Wait a minute! You did something, didn't you?" James cried out.

"Only a prank," the girls replied in unison.

The boys stared at them in horror. James and Sirius looked stunned and confused at first, then they burst out into laughter.

"That's a great one! If I actually dreamt about Snivellus on my own free will, I'd hang myself!" Sirius barked out, rolling around on the floor and causing himself to nearly disappear under his bed.

James shuddered before replying, "I can't believe we've been pranked, Padfoot."

"P-pranked?" Peter squeaked from his bed, now poking his head out from under the red comforter.

"Yeah, Pete, _we've_ been pranked," Sirius choked out, wiping at his eyes, "So who'd you guys dream about?"

Silence greeted him. Hermione shared a knowing look at Lily, "We figured out who three of you were dreaming about."

"Who dreamt of who?"

"Well, as if it isn't obvious, Sirius and James dreamt about Severus, and Peter dreamt about… Dumbledore…" Lily provided, looking slightly disturbed at the thought.

"Who did you dream about Moony?" Three male voices said at once.

Everyone turned to look at the werewolf, who face had turned bright pink. He mumbled something quietly, causing the other boys to whine about how it wasn't fair that he knew about what they dreamt about.

"Leave Remus alone," Hermione laughed after seeing the russet haired boy's expression.

The distraught boy gave Hermione a relieved look and flopped back against his conjured mattress. Sirius was now standing up again, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes while looking around for a shirt to put on. James was doing the same, and Hermione couldn't help but send her friend a knowing grin at Lily, who had been watching the Gryffindor chaser unashamedly.

Lily made a small noise and blushed furiously, then excused herself by saying she needed to go get her things packed before breakfast.

James looked a little put-out by her sudden leave, but didn't say anything. Hermione on the other hand, jumped up onto James bed next to where he was sitting now and flashed him a small smile.

"So, how do you plan on showing her the real you?" She asked out of the blue.

He stopped moving, his head half-way in his shirt and one arm through a sleeve. Murmuring almost to himself, he said, "Show her the real me?"

"Oh, come on James. You know what I'm talking about. All her years here at Hogwarts, all she's seen of you except for recently is the 'bigheaded, egotistic prat' as she likes to call you."

James pulled his shirt down off of his head and stared the girl strait in the eyes, "You know, she never spent this much time around us Marauders until you came around. It seems like you're trying to get us together -- with you dragging her around to hang out with us, you asking me random questions --"

"Do you realize that you're babbling?" She said in exasperation before standing up and heading towards the door with a roll of her eyes, "I'll see you guys down at breakfast."

* * *

After gathering his things together, the sixth year werewolf sat on his trunk in front of his bed and watched Sirius, James, and Peter scramble around the room in a comical manner as they looked for lost clothing items. 

"Bugger," James cursed. "Where's my winter cloak!"

Sirius stood up and scratched his head, "Didn't you have it yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

Remus rolled his eyes at the sudden, dumbfounded silence, "It's on the hook next to your bed, James."

"Huh? Oh. I swear, things around here have minds of their own…"

And to think -- the morning had just begun. Or, it had a while ago, but there was still a long time to go before it was over. After the chaos that morning with the girls, things had been quite hectic. The boys had to admit though, what the girls did was admirable even if they were embarrassed beyond reasoning.

Leaning back on the trunk, Remus' back rested against his newly made bed. He could faintly smell the lingering scent of Hermione on his sheets. He felt a small flutter in his stomach which made him feel a bit uncomfortable. What were these feelings he was beginning to acquire? Every time Hermione was really close to him, he couldn't breath or think normally, or he'd blush and stutter. Just thinking about her made his mind foggy.

He couldn't remember feeling that way around anyone. The feelings were practically foreign to him. With an inward sigh, Remus folded his arms behind his head and waited for the others to finish. He didn't have to wait long.

"Alright, everything's packed."

"Ready to head down to breakfast then?"

"Yeah. C'mon Moony! Breakfast!"

And so they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. They met the girls at the Gryffindor table, who all broke out into identical grins when they spotted them. It was obvious that they filled the other two in on what had happened that morning.

All four of the boys blushed a deep scarlet color before they sat down at the table. James and Sirius just muttered their good mornings to the others, then began eating. Peter avoided any eye-contact, but Remus just shrugged everything off. None of them could really do anything to prevent breakfast from being an awkward and quite affair.

Everyone else in the school seemed to be in high spirits though, considering that most of them would be going home for the holidays in less than an hour. Remus and the other Marauders were of course, excited to get out of the old castle, but the werewolf felt somewhat reluctant when he remembered that Hermione was staying behind.

That was to be expected though, since she didn't have any actual family in the present time era. He began to feel sorry for her now, realizing that she would most likely be missing her family and friends.

Just thinking about what it would be like to go through what she was made his heart clench. If he lost his family, his friends, and home, he didn't know what he would do. How could she act as if it didn't bother her? She seemed to just let everything pass as if it was no big deal -- was she keeping her emotions from them?

He made it a point to make sure that she would at least feel cared for during the holidays come Christmas. He had already gotten her a present, and he hoped that she would like it. He hadn't ever had to shop for any girl besides his mum, and she hardly counted for a girl -- she was… well, his mum.

Glancing about while munching on a piece of toast, he caught Hermione glancing over towards one of the other tables. Having his back turned to them, he wasn't sure which table it was, but both Sirius and James caught her glance and followed it; their eyes stopped at the Slytherin table.

Sirius was the first to speak, "Hermione, why the bloody hell do you keep looking over there? Did Snivellus do something to you?"

The girl's head jerked sideways to face him. She scowled deeply, "No, _Severus_ hasn't; and it really isn't any of your business where I am or am not looking."

"When it deals with slimy Slytherin's, then yes, it is," The dark haired boy growled out. "But then again, you seem to be quite taken with Snivellus. Maybe you fancy him?"

Tension suddenly filled the area around them. Remus knew that Sirius had taken it a step too far. Hermione's eyes were flashing dangerously, anger seeming to actually flow from her. Lily actually cowered back away from the furious brunette and the other boys also backed away slightly.

"How dare you! How _dare _you!" She shrieked, causing silence to ascend around that area of the Gryffindor table, "Don't you ever speak about things you don't know anything about! Especially when it involves me!"

Sirius didn't say anything for a long time. He just glared at Hermione, daring her to keep going. Remus knew that look -- it was the look he always had when he thought he was right about something. What Hermione said next though, didn't help with anything.

"Not all Slytherin's are bad, Sirius. You just have a childish grudge against them because of your family--"

"You don't know anything about my family!" He shouted, causing the Great Hall to practically become silent as more than a hundred heads turned to face them.

Hermione, aware of the now silent hall, bent over and venomously whispered to the boy so quietly that Remus actually had to strain his ears to hear what she said to Sirius, "When I've lived at Grimmauld Place for two summers straight, I think I might know more than you think."

Sirius paled significantly, not bothering to even watch the girl stalk out of the hall. James asked Sirius what she said, whom said boy didn't respond to, Peter looked positively confused, and the others were sharing similar looks of confusion.

Remus caught Sirius' eye and saw regret, anger, fear, and confusion flashing through the large orbs, but before he could sort out why his friend was feeling those things, the dark haired boy stood up and left the Great Hall, numerous eyes following his every move -- including the Headmasters.

Sighing almost dramatically, the sixth year prefect pushed his plate away from him, stood up, and motioned his friends to come along as well. They obliged, following him back to the Gryffindor common room and up the boy's dormitories, where they found Sirius laying moodily on his bed.

The upcoming train ride was going to be one that none of them were looking forward to.

* * *

It was quiet now. 

Sitting alone in her dorm, Hermione couldn't really think of anything that would make things better for her. She was quickly spiraling into the waters of depression. Now that she was actually alone, memories and thoughts had decided to catch up with her; she couldn't get away from them this time.

What were Ron and Harry doing right now? What about Ginny? What did her parents think of her disappearing? She already knew that things in the future were drastically changed -- she'd already told things about the future to people in this time era and it was almost a definite fact that nothing would be the same.

Sighing to herself, Hermione glanced out of the window near her bed, then flopped onto her back, staring up at the canopied ceiling of her bed she knew all too well. Her mind drifted off to the night that she had arrived in this new -- or old -- time. She remembered the dance she shared with Ron, the small, simple words that they had passed on to each other, then… the near kiss.

She felt her heart ache at that memory. Ron had almost kissed her, and because of Draco, it had never happened. Was it for the best? What would have happened if he _had _kissed her? Would she feel even more homesick? How would it affect her feelings about Ron?

Whatever she would have felt, she didn't know if it could be worse than what she was feeling now; and frankly, she didn't want to know. Her heart felt as if it were about to break already. She missed them all, her family, her friends -- hell, she even missed Draco for all that he was worth.

And at any rate, everything wasn't working out how she wanted it to -- though she couldn't have everything her way. Why did the Marauder's have to have such a childish grudge against the Slytherin's? Things never changed, did they? Now, here she was, alone and by herself with no one but herself as company. Sirius and James were mad at her, that much was obvious. She wasn't sure about the others, but at the moment, she wasn't really sure she cared. Maybe it was better if she didn't get too close to them.

By hanging out with Slytherin's, Hermione knew she would cause a rift between her friendship with the Gryffindor's. She just hadn't wanted it to be true.

The girl let out a strangled cry of frustration before she ripped herself away from her bed, grabbing her winter cloak in the process, then fled from her dormitory in anger and confusion. She trudged down the staircase leading into the common room and saw a few first and second years that were the only other Gryffindor's staying that were grouped up in a corner, talking, joking, and doing the things that they do.

In her mind, she saw flashes of her, Harry's, and Ron's first few years at Hogwarts as they would group up in the common room around Christmas. Without even acknowledging the younger years, Hermione hurried out of the room.

The halls of the castle were practically deserted. The paintings were off visiting one another, so most of the canvases lay blank and empty on the stone walls. A few were crowded with the most random variety of people Hermione had ever seen, and they'd call out to her as she passed. The stair cases would groan and creek, the noise sounding louder than usual because of the emptiness of the place.

Having looked at the bulletin board in the common room, she saw how many people were staying behind for Christmas. There were the five other Gryffindor's besides her, three Hufflepuff's, and the five Slytherin's.

Hermione was just turning a corner when she found herself face to face with the stone gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office. She hadn't realized she'd been walking in that direction, but now, she felt that it was a natural thing to do. Most of her time spent in the Marauders' Era was in Dumbledore's office. Then the girl realized that this was the perfect opportunity for her to talk to the Headmaster about the strange scar on her abdomen.

Telling the gargoyle the password, it jumped aside and she walked up the revolving stairs, not bothering to wait until it took her up to the top landing on its own. She knocked on the door, and heard the old man welcome her into the small office.

"Ah, Hermione, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked from behind his desk as he glanced up from wrote in his elegant penmanship on a piece of parchment that looked official.

"Well, sir, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something," she said.

"Take a seat then," he said kindly and finished whatever he had been writing on the parchment.

Hermione obliged, sitting down in one of the armchairs in front of the oak desk. She looked over at Fawkes who lay sleeping on his perch, head tucked under his soft feathers. The Headmaster lay his quill down, then turned his attention to her, blue eyes sparkling that annoying sparkle.

"Well, professor, I um… you remember the day I came here, right?" She asked lamely. He nodded, so she continued, "Well, when I was in the Hospital Wing that first morning, I noticed something."

"What is it that you noticed?"

The girl suddenly felt sheepish about the whole situation, but told him, "I noticed that, where the spell that sent me back here hit me, there's a scar… I wouldn't even be bothered with it if it was a normal scar, but it seems to be formed into a certain pattern."

The old man peered at her for a long time without saying anything, then asked her what it looked like exactly. She asked if she could draw it out on a piece of paper, and he handed her a spare piece of parchment and his discarded quill.

She sat in concentration for a while, sketching out the pattern. She had it memorized in her mind, having seen it many times. Though Hermione had never really thought it looked like anything, she realized that as she sat drawing out the lines, it did indeed seem to take on a familiar shape.

Minutes passed until she finished, then handed the parchment to the aged Headmaster. She watched as his eyes widened slightly from behind the half-moon spectacles. He cleared his throat then put the sketch down. His gaze drifted from his desk to her, and student and professor locked eyes.

"What is it, sir?"

"Hermione, if this sketch is what it really looks like, then I'm proud to say that you have a magical protector. Whatever spell sent you back was indeed extremely powerful, but it was meant to be, and could have harmed you. I'm not sure why I hadn't realized that something was amiss earlier. The caster of the spell, however, had no intentions of actually harming you, causing the spell to react in a way where it would guard you from all the raw power as you fell through the timeline. This --" Dumbledore motioned to the parchment, "Is the symbol that the founder of magic would use that meant 'protection'.

" Usually, it would be used with old magic to seal important letters from prying eyes, or to keep someone safe in a hiding place if they were in trouble. The magic, being from before even the Founders of Hogwarts, has been long lost to the wizarding world. Look at the drawing, and tell me what you see."

Hermione leaned forward to look once more at the drawing. Nothing seemed to come to her mind at first, but slowly, it seemed as if the drawing took its own form. Seconds later, she was staring at the outline of a wolf.

The design wasn't anything extraordinary, but it was still there. It was only visible if you concentrated on it, otherwise, it just looked like an ensemble of crisscrossed markings.

"A wolf?"

"Yes."

"What does it mean since it's actually on me?"

"That, Hermione, is something I have yet to figure out. Normally, theory has said that the older kin of wizards and witches had tried to make it work on actual people to protect them, but it would never succeed. I've never heard of anything like this."

"Does it mean that I have a limit of protection?" Asked Hermione.

"It could be possible," he nodded, looking thoughtful. "However, we can't be too sure. Anything is possible here in the wizarding world, as you may know."

The girl nodded slowly, allowing silence to ascend upon the duo. Hermione was lost in thought, thinking that she would head to the library before lunch to check up on the spell and magic that she had just learned about.

"If that is all, Miss Granger, I believe you should be on your way," the Headmaster said in his usual cheery voice. Hermione nodded again and stood up. Before turning around though, she decided to ask something that she hadn't really questioned yet.

"Headmaster, I was wondering about something else. You never told me how Remus faired during the full moon with the potion."

"Ah, I must say, things worked out rather admirably," said the old man, eyes twinkling like mad. "He was very grateful for whoever made the potion."

Hermione grinned and said her goodbyes to the old man, then left his office. She felt slightly better than she had previously. Maybe the day wasn't ruined.

The girl made her way through the castle, not seeing anyone on her way to the library. When she entered the vast room full of books, she nodded to the librarian and proceeded towards the books in the 'history of magic' section.

After skimming the volumes of books that lined the many shelves, she pulled out numerous amounts of them and made what looked like a small fort of books on top of one of the circular tables in one of the corners near a window that overlooked the Quidditch field.

She looked through the books, one by one, and jotted down any notes that she dubbed useful on spare pieces of parchment. Hours passed and she missed lunch, and most of the afternoon. She didn't leave the library until almost halfway through dinner, her eyes overly bright with the knowledge of what she had found out about the protection magic. (A/n: I'll go over that in the next chapter.)

She vaguely thought about going to the Great Hall for dinner, but decided to just stop by the kitchens instead to get something small to eat.

The house elves greeted her as normal, seeing that her and Lily had became some of their favorite students to come around. She sat on a stool and munched on a turkey sandwich that had been given to her and she listened to the elves chat about their preparations for the upcoming Christmas feast. Hermione threw in a few comments which the elves were happy to accept, and soon, she found herself sleepy and full.

After bidding the elves goodnight, she left the kitchens and went to Gryffindor tower. The students that were gathered in there were chatting cheerfully with one another, as they had been earlier in the day. Hermione was too tired to acknowledge them and went up to her dormitory that now seemed empty.

Upon lying down on her bed, she vaguely thought about what she would be doing during the upcoming days at Hogwarts, and what the future had planned for her.

* * *

A/N: Alright, there it is. I know it's not that great. I also want to say that I might not update for a while -- maybe not until after new years. I'm sorry, but with the holidays coming up, I'm not sure if I'll have the time to do anything dealing with my stories. 

Anyways, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year! -- Min


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the HP books and/or movies is not mine.**

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A/N: Alright, I realized that I haven't been such a good person by not updating much. I've been doing something that I'm against, actually, only updating once a month practically, so I decided to fix that. Instead of going along with my plans, I decided to stay home and write another chapter for my story, just for you guys who read my story and have loyally stayed with me the whole time. It is Christmas after all, and I might even get another chapter up a few days after this. After reading the reviews, I realized that most people will probably stop reading my story because of loosing interest if I don't update as much, so I think I'm going to keep up with my pace of updating. I hope you guys like the new change, though I can't promise that there wont be times when I don't update for a while. 

Alright, now, please don't kill me over this chapter. I've realized I'm _really _bad with description paragraphs, but I'll do my best to get this chapter out as smoothly as possible. Near the end, there's a conversation that I had some trouble doing, so if it seems choppy, please just deal with it. I'll try to fix it up sometime in the future if people have problems with it. Also, I'm curious to know, does anyone even read these A/N's? Anyone who does, just out of my own curiosity and knowledge, please put x in a review, so that I know if I'm just waisting my time writing the author notes. Anyways, I suppose I'll get on with the chapter. So… Happy Holidays, guys! - Min

**Thanks **The Insane Imortal Dragon, wally4ever, Angelic Bladez, Artistgurl123, Cass, LunaLovegoss, Parvatti, little mimi, katsheswims, bluefire-elemental, Evil Cat Hater, as,jg, shannon, Ivory Black aka Torri-Chiobie, Black-rose23, larthawyn, Lala, and SpikesDreamer **for the wonderful reviews!**

Any questioned involving this story that you ask in your reviews will be replied to in emails due to the new rules of FF dot com

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**Poll for 'Should Hermione, Severus, and Lucius become to new Golden Trio?'**

**Yes: 6**

**No: 6**

I'm going to probably wait **one** more chapter before the final decision is made. The votes really do count, so please vote! Thanks to all who have already voted!

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Seasons Change

By: Min

a.k.a. xScenex

* * *

Sirius Orion Black was not happy. No, no, no, he was not happy at all.

The beginning of the day had turned out to be a very unpleasant affair. First, he'd been awoken by a prank -- a prank of all things -- that wasn't done by another Marauder. That was unheard of. And done by girls? Even more blasphemy! After being awoken, he thought it had been pretty funny, but it still irked him to no end; he was the one that did the pranking!

That morning's fun didn't escalate either. After spending forever trying to find all of his belongings that had been thrown about his and the other Marauder's dormitory, nearly dying from hunger, and having to wait for James to finish packing, he was in a pretty sully mood; but he didn't want to show it so he put on his usual smile that would make girls swoon.

Upon arriving in the Great Hall, his mood hadn't changed. He would have thought that food would cheer him up, but the grinning faces of the girls that had played the prank irritated him -- and it didn't help that they had told their friends. He remembered his face turning red as they giggled at him. They were going to ruin his image with the other girls, for crying out loud!

He sat down along with his other three male companions, and began to eat. He was thinking of what him and James would do once they got to Godric's Hollow. Since his family didn't like him -- and he had convinced himself that he didn't like them either -- he had ran away from home and was taken in by Harold and Emily Potter. Since him and James had been friends since their first years at Hogwarts, it didn't prove to be a problem.

Of course, he remembered the conversation that all four boys had at The Three Broomsticks a while back. James wanted to go to the summer vacation home, and all four Marauder's were going to be allowed to be together for the holiday.

A Marauder's Christmas; oh the fun they would have.

Sirius stabbed a sausage with his fork and turned to say something to James but noticed him watching Hermione curiously. He looked at her too, trying to find out why James was staring at her oddly and it only took a few moments to realize why.

She kept looking over at the Slytherin table. A look of worry would ease itself onto her face every time she did and he was worried that something was wrong.

Ever since the time-traveler had shown up, he had grown attached to her, along with the others. She was smart, witty, clever, and she had an inner beauty to her that most people probably wouldn't notice. He hadn't really noticed it at first -- seeing only that she was a plain witch that was more into books and the library than anything else. But after a while, he realized that she was fun to hang around.

After he had found out about her absurd burden, he had made it a point to try and keep her spirits up, seeing that sometimes she would fall into depression, though she would always deny it. He couldn't begin to think of how she must feel about having to have left her friends and family behind. It bothered him to see her look worried about something, or anything, which brought him to say what he did to her after she looked over at the Slytherin's table once more.

"Hermione, why the bloody hell do you keep looking over there? Did Snivellus do something to you?"

Said girl turned to look at him quickly after he said that, and a scowl soon appeared on her face, "No, _Severus_ hasn't; and it really isn't any of your business where I am or am not looking."

That took him by surprise. Why was she getting so defensive over those slimy gits? Did she have some weird fascination with them? Then again, he remembered all those times that he would find her speaking to Snivellus, or sometimes Malfoy. Borrowing one of their cloaks, disappearing for long periods of times each day, always exchanging glances with one or two of them… maybe there was more going on than he had actually thought.

He was bewildered by the mere thought at first, but then realized that it was all pointing to a few signs. Either she was working with them, or she had some weird fascination with one of them. He decided to take action and find out but what came out of his mouth wasn't what he intended to say -- and it was soon proved that it hadn't been such a good idea either.

"When it deals with slimy Slytherin's, then yes, it is. But then again, you seem to be quite taken with Snivellus. Maybe you fancy him?"

He nearly slapped himself right then and there for saying that, but decided to stand his ground. It wouldn't do him any good if he apologized for that -- besides, what if it was true? He shivered at the sheer thought.

He stared up into the furious eyes of the brown haired time-traveler. He gulped silently and nearly flinched as she shrieked, "How dare you! How _dare _you! Don't you ever speak about things you don't know anything about! Especially when it involves me!"

Silence ascended around them and he began to feel nervous, though his composure showed that he was perfectly in control and calm. He stayed quiet, weighing his options for what to say next. The way she had exploded at him might be a sign that she actually did fancy one of the Slytherin's, but there was a possibility that she was just angry at the thought of it; girls truly were a puzzle to figure out. He wasn't too sure about his own ideas, so he decided that he would go for the first option that he had thought up until he could find anything else out. How could she explain all those times she would disappear? Or the looks she send Snape and Lucius? Or even better, what about the borrowed cloak?

Before he could say anything, a feminine voice snapped through his thoughts, "Not all Slytherin's are bad, Sirius. You just have a childish grudge against them because of your family--"

That did it.

No one would speak to him about his family -- ever. He looked at her venomously and shouted, "You don't know anything about my family!"

He glared at her as she bent over, and he nearly jerked back as if he had been slapped when he heard her next words.

"When I've lived at Grimmauld Place for two summers straight, I think I might know more than you think."

The words were so quiet, he wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly, but he knew by the look she sent him before leaving told him he heard her right. He paled, feeling remarkably bad about what he had been accusing her of. He also felt anger at her for even bringing his family up, but fear eluded that emotion when he realized that she had the power to expose him to the school, telling them secrets that he might not even know about himself. He didn't know what to do.

He was vaguely aware of his best friend talking to him, but he didn't even spare the other boy a glance. He stood up, not even looking at his friends, then left the Great Hall, not really sure of what he was doing or where hew as going.

He found himself in front of the entrance to the Gryffindor common room soon after though, and nearly cursed himself for even walking in that direction. He gave the waiting portrait the password and slipped in quietly, unaware of any of the occupants in the room. He made his way up to his dormitory and flopped down on his bed, thinking over what had just happened.

That's how the other Marauder's found him about ten minutes later.

The rest of the morning was extremely depressing and he couldn't find it in himself to apologize to Hermione. He knew he shouldn't have jumped at her like that, but the fact that she had connections with Slytherin's made him seethe. Did she actually think that he or James would allow that?

Maybe she was actually a Death Eater in disguise. The thought wasn't _that_ outrageous. She could easily deceive any of them, including Dumbledore. She could have been sent from the future to try and help Voldemort gain more power than he already had -- which wouldn't be good at all.

Sirius made a plan to find out her actual tactics in the previous time era, hoping that it wouldn't be that difficult. As long as he kept himself under cover, she wouldn't notice anything.

The next half hour proceeded slowly, if not almost painfully. But eventually, it was time to board the Hogwarts Express and leave the castle for the holidays. Sirius was more than ready to welcome the long train ride back to Kings Cross station.

Him and the others found an empty compartment at the end of the train and made themselves as comfortable as they could.

Remus had pulled out a book about Defense Against the Dark Arts and buried his nose in it, James took out his snitch and proceeded to play around with it while Peter watched in amusement. Sirius decided to lay across a few seats with his arms folded under his head. He stared out of the window across from him, watching the trees move past the window as the train cut its way through the landscape.

"So…"

The silence had been broken by James. Sirius ripped his eyes away from the boring window to stare at his friend, "'So' what?"

"I don't know. It's just depressingly quiet in here," he whined.

"At least Malfoy hasn't come around yet," said Sirius with a roll of his eyes. "Though I am getting bored."

James looked at him for a moment before saying, "Malfoy was staying at the castle over the holidays. Didn't you read the sign-up sheet?"

"What!"

Sirius sat bolt upright, his mind whirring. Malfoy was staying for the holidays? Did this have something to do with Hermione? He _never _stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas. "Who else was staying?"

"Uh," his friend looked at him uncomfortably, "I believe Snivellus, Parkinson…" James trailed off for a moment before saying very quietly and quickly, "Your brother, and your cousin, Narcissa."

Sirius fell off of his seat with a loud and resounding thump. He gaped up at his best friend, "Are you bloody serious?"

His friend glared at him, "Why would I lie to you about that?"

He sent his friend an apologetic look and got up. He began pacing around the small compartment, thinking things over once more.

If they were all staying at Hogwarts over Christmas break, what was going on? _Surely mother wouldn't have let Regulus stay at the castle with 'that muggle loving fool'_? He thought to himself.

Regulus, his younger brother, was pretty much a spawn for the dark side. He had always shown loyalty to Voldemort and the rest of the Black family, whom were all involved with the Dark Arts. What would their -- _his_ mother say when she found out he wasn't going home? He almost laughed at the thought.

"Padfoot, would you _please_ quit pacing about. It's really getting annoying," Remus said from where he sat.

"Sorry, Moony," He mumbled and sat back down.

Whatever was happening with the Slytherin's, he had an idea that Hermione might be behind it all,; but Sirius Black just didn't quite k now what exactly it was that would be happening.

* * *

The next morning dawned drearily and rather quietly. It had stopped snowing the previous night, but the sky was still overcast. The steely gray clouds hovered heavily over the castle, seeming ominous and foreboding against the terrain in which the magical school lay.

The lake was frozen along its bank, going out several yards before thinning out until the arctic lake waters overlapped the ice. What water that lay unfrozen reflected the gray sky above and rippled as the glacial wind picked up, howling through the surrounding trees.

No one was out that morning; it would be like suicide walking about in the sub-zero temperatures. Rather than that, the remaining occupants of the castle were all gathered in the Great Hall for the morning breakfast -- which was beginning to turn into a very unusual and amusing affair.

* * *

"I will _not_ sit with those insolent Gryffindor's."

"I'm a Gryffindor and you have no problem with hanging around me."

"Hanging around a Gryffindor and dining with Gryffindor's are too different things."

"Oh, come off it! You don't mind the Hufflepuff's!"

"Said who?"

Silence.

"Ugh! You're hopeless, you know that, Lucius?"

Hermione stomped her foot on the stone floor in one of the halls leading into the Great Hall. In front of her stood the pallid form of Lucius Malfoy. Beside him was a sully Severus, and _behind_ them was Jason Parkinson, Regulus Black, and Narcissa Black.

The latter of the group looked at her warily, but didn't attempt anything, seeing that their 'leader' was being civil towards her; though they all had looks of disgust on their faces at the thought of eating breakfast with the remaining Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's.

"I'm not hopeless, I just don't want my to lose my dignity," sneered the boy.

"If you don't sit with them, I'll have them sit with you," Hermione told him dryly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Stubborn Gryffindor," Severus rolled his eyes.

"Hey--"

"Alas, what's this?" A voice asked from down the hall behind the group of Slytherin's. They all turned to find the twinkling eyes of the Headmaster walking down the hall towards them.

"Nothing, sir. Just a little inter-house bonding," Hermione grinned, "All of us agreed to sit with the rest of the remaining Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's for the remainder of the holidays, so I believe only one table will be needed for meals for now on until the rest of the students get back."

Dumbledore clapped his hands together and beamed at each of the students, whom all looked tartly at Hermione. She just looked innocently at them.

"I believe that that could be put in order. It's always lovely to see students from opposing houses getting along. Now come along, breakfast is beginning."

The old man began walking away, all the while humming along to some unknown tune. Hermione stared after him, wondering if his last name was just a coincidence; Dumbledore means, in the Old English, bumblebee. She shook her head in an amused way before motioning for the disgruntled Slytherin's to follow them into the Great Hall.

Upon entering, they saw that Dumbledore had done the deed, taking away all house tables away and leaving a solitary one in the middle of the hall where quite a few of the Gryffindor's already sat with the three Hufflepuff's.

When the Gryffindor's saw the approaching Slytherin's, they grimaced and scowled at them, almost threatening them to do something out of character in front of the professors up at the high table. The opposing house just sneered or scowled back and took seats at the far end of the table, as far away from the others as possible.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at their antics before sitting down next to Narcissa, who was sitting closer to the Gryffindor's, leaving a small gap large enough for about three people to fit in. The older girl looked at her with distrust and shifted uncomfortably in her chair but nonetheless turned to her food instead of complaining.

Ten minutes into the meal, a small group of owls entered the hall. Hermione noticed the worried glances that the students at the end of the table gave each other, and found out why when three owls swooped down towards them, each carrying a crimson letter.

Howlers.

One was addressed to Lucius, one to Jason, and the other to Regulus. They began to smoke, and Hermione realized that they were all going to go off at once and quickly covered her ears with her hands.

Within seconds, two male voices and a female voice shouted through the hall, each sounding very angry and venomous, causing the entire hall to quite down.

"HOW COULD YOU--"

"YOU'VE DISCRACED THE MALFOY FAMILY--"

"NOT COMING HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR FATHER THINKS OF YOU? AND YOUR COUSIN NARCISSA--"

"AND TO THINK THAT YOU WERE--"

"_TOUJOURS PUR!_"

"YOU JUST WAIT! WHEN YOU COME HOME--"

"THIS SUMMER YOU'LL--"

"FILTH! SCUM! THOSE HALF-BREEDS--"

Hermione winced, along with the others. Mrs. Black's voice was louder than the rest, and high pitch. She had a feeling that she might get a headache by listening to her shrieking, and was surprised that she wasn't already used to it since she had spent summers over at Grimmauld Place, where Mrs. Black's painting would yell at them constantly at any abrupt loud noises in the hall.

Eventually, the howlers finished and shriveled up into ash, leaving three very nervous or annoyed teenagers looking at one another before they resumed eating their breakfast.

That rest of that morning was an awkward affair, but Hermione preferred it compared to the previous day's breakfast. Before long, it was just Hermione, the Slytherin's, and Michael Benson from Hufflepuff. Hermione, Severus, Lucius, and Michael all exchanged glances before nodding slightly to one another and stood up, the others following suit. They had all planned to meet up down in the 'brewing' room as Severus called it -- the room where him and Hermione had first met -- where they would be able to make plans for what they would do now that the parents knew their loyalties. This procedure had been discussed between them all; Severus and Lucius had the job of passing it on between their house mates and Hermione had spoke with Michael.

Hermione got up first, motioning for Michael to follow her. The others would come down to the dungeons after about ten minutes, so as not to make the professors suspicious. However, the silent agreement and conversations didn't go unnoticed by the Headmaster, who watched with twinkling eyes and an almost knowing look about him.

As the duo walked down the halls while exchanging some 'small talk' but nothing more. The sandy haired boy seemed nervous to be around her, much to Hermione's annoyance.

After about fifteen minutes, they found themselves standing in the abandoned room located down in the dungeons where she had first brewed the wolfsbane potion in that time era. She transfigured a group of comfortable chairs out of wood chips from the fireplace and sat down, awaiting the arrival of the others.

It didn't take long until they showed up. They were talking amongst themselves about the howlers and what they would do. After all of them had settled down in the room with the door closed so that no one would eavesdrop if they were nearby, they began the discussion.

"It's time to start taking action," Hermione began, looking at each individual pointedly, "We can't just sit here and do nothing. Now that some of your parents have voiced their opinions about what they think of you staying home, there is no doubt that you will be in trouble during the next summer in which you go home."

They all seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Narcissa looked at her, then said tartly, "And what will we do once we go home for the summer? Surely they would find it fit to punish us for not coming home to receive the marks, and they would force us to be brandished with them during that time."

Hermione brushed the rudeness away and replied, "I've already given this thought. Unless you want to go to Dumbledore and ask for his help, I have a plan that may or may not work."

"And what would that be?" Lucius asked dully, though his eyes betrayed his voice, showing that he was interested in what she had to say. Hermione got the distinct feeling that he was amused by her antics.

"Most of you, if not all of you, are not going to like what I have to say," she began.

"Well, what is it?" Severus asked dryly.

"Hold up and I'll tell you," she mock-glared at him. He rolled his eyes and motioned for her to continue, "So, as I was _about_ to say, if you all don't want to get punished during the summer, when the school year ends, we can group up and go into hiding. It's not like we can't take care of ourselves, and we're smart enough to not get caught. I'm pretty sure we can all rack up enough money to get through the summer, right?"

"What? You want us to _run away from home and hide?_" Severus nearly shouted.

"In a way, yes," she huffed.

"What good will that do?" Jason snapped.

"What good will staying do? You'll get branded with the dark mark and you'll get punished by your families. What is there to lose? We've already discussed that much."

"What is there to gain?"

"A lot of things!"

"Like what?"

"Do you really want to live the rest of your life doing something that you were forced to do? Do you want to live life the way _you _want to, or do you want to be ordered around? I thought you were Slytherin's," Hermione looked at the said house occupants, each of who were practically glaring at her. "This is your chance to prove yourselves by doing what you think is right. This is the chance that you all have to make a difference!"

"What difference?" Narcissa questioned loudly.

"The difference in the upcoming war," hissed Hermione. "Do you really think this will be a walk through the park? There is a God forsaken war going on, and we can't just sit here while it happens. One way or another, we will be dragged into it."

"How can you be so certain?"

Hermione looked at the speaker. Regulus, looking so much like his brother, was so different. The girl smiled, almost menacingly, before saying, "Trust me, I know a lot of things, and this is something I am absolutely certain about."

"What's that supposed to mean? How can you be 'absolutely certain' about that?" Severus asked her quietly from her left.

She turned to face him, her face almost impassive. He, of course, didn't know about her secret time-travel escapade. She had always wondered what would happen if him or Lucius found out about it. A few times, she had thought about passing herself off as a seer, but snorted at the very thought.

"You'll just have to trust me with this."

"Trust you? A Gryffindor?" Jason practically sneered.

"If I'm willing to trust you, you should be willing to trust me," the time-traveler shot at the boy, who shut up almost immediately.

"Alright, let me get this straight," Lucius said slowly, staring at her from where he sat. "You want us, _all of us_, to go into hiding at the end of the school year? Where would we go? It would be noticeable for a group of teenagers just hiding about somewhere. Someone is bound to notice."

"We will find a place to go. I have some contacts that I could get a hold of to find a place to stay at without being noticed. They can also provide us with information concerning us."

"Is this even going to work, Granger?"

"Yes, Black, it is. If we all put our all into it, it will."

"I still don't see how this will work," the blonde haired girl said.

"Cissy, it's worth a try," Lucius responded, surprising the rest of his housemates. "What would there be to lose? I surely don't feel like being scolded by mother or father. It might be a bit fun to be independent for once. No rules."

"But Lucius, you can't be serious! You're actually trusting this Gryffindor?"

"Not really trusting, it's more like I'm agreeing."

"How can you agree to that? It's unbelievable!"

Rolling her eyes, Hermione butted in, "Remember, we still have a while to go until summer. It doesn't have to be the only option, you know."

"She's right," Michael finally spoke from across the room. "We have a few months to figure out another plan."

"Here we go with the 'plans' again," Severus muttered to himself.

Hermione almost laughed but settled for a cough, earning small glares from the others. She shot the raven haired boy a look and whispered, "Severus, you can be so naïve sometimes."

He shot her a poisonous look and scowled deeply, causing her to break out into a large grin.

"Alright, we get that you're smitten with each other, but you can flirt with your bird another time, Severus."

"WHAT!" They both shouted at the same time.

Lucius smirked. Two red spots appeared on Severus' face and Hermione stared at the blonde boy as if he'd grown another head. "We are _not _smitten with each other."

"Deny it if you will, we have better things to discuss."

The girl glared at him, but nonetheless dropped it, though she made a note to get him back eventually for saying something like that. She shivered at the mere thought of her and Severus together. It was just… wrong.

Come to think of it, she figured that any relationship here in this time era would be weird or just plain wrong. Everyone was, by all means, supposed to be twenty years older or more than her. She was dimly aware that the talking had resumed in the room as she thought about her newly found feelings for a certain boy.

She had noticed that when she was around Remus, she always felt safe and secure. He was smart, funny, kind, and by far, good looking. He never lost his temper at her, he never accused her of things, and if his friends thought something she did was wrong, he wouldn't side with them until he heard her side of the story. Most importantly, he respected her.

But he had been her _professor._ All thoughts of him in any other way than a friend would be awkward, if not wrong. What would everyone say if they found out about this?

More importantly, what about her feelings towards a certain red-headed boy? Could she forget about her not-so-small crush on Ron Weasley? She had accepted the fact that she wouldn't be able to get back home to her own time era, considering that there was a lot to do around this one, and all of her and Dumbledore's research had proved that there wasn't a way _for_ her to get back.

But it always took some time to get over a crush -- especially when she was starting to feel overly homesick and heartsick for him and the others. But no matter how hard she convinced herself that nothing would happen with her and Remus, there was a small part of her that had lit up with hope.

* * *

A/N: Alright, there it is. Another chapter! I'll continue the conversation in the next one, but right now, I need to get some sleep so I found this the best place to stop. I hope you guys don't mind! 


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the HP books and/or movies is not mine.**

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A/N: Yay! Another chapter! Woo! I actually had a bit of fun typing this chapter… I dunno' why though. I suppose it was probably easier to write than the previous ones. Annnnnd! Because I put in a bit of romance/thought thingies in it where Remus and Hermione are contemplating their feelings or are being pressed about his/her feelings. Good stuff there. Also! A bit of Remus' history in here… not much though, but there's enough to get a general idea of his childhood. o: Anyways, thank you guys for the reviews. I'm not getting as many as I used to, but I suppose that's my fault for not updating as much and I probably lost a large part of my 'audience' but I suppose it doesn't matter. (: As long as _someone _besides me likes this story, I'm going to continue it. And so… I guess it's time to move on with the story!

**Thanks **The Insane Imortal Dragon, Angelic Bladez, little mimi, larthawyn, lianghwei, bluefire-elemental, Ivory Black aka Torri-Chiobie, genevieve, wally4ever, Angelraven, Aprila, and _LunaLovegoss _**for the wonderful reviews!**

Any questioned involving this story that you ask in your reviews will be replied to in emails due to the new rules of FF dot com

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**Poll for 'Should Hermione, Severus, and Lucius become the new Golden Trio?'**

**Yes: 9**

**No: 12**

Alright, so, the pole has come to a close. Hermione, Severus, and Lucius will not become the new Golden Trio. Thank you guys for the votes! They really helped. Sorry for those who did vote yes, but the majority won the negative part of the poll.

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Seasons Change

By: Min

a.k.a. xScenex

* * *

Inside of a large, circular room, a old, wizened man sat quietly behind an enormous desk with his fingers pressed together under his chin. With most of the students gone, the castle seemed much quieter, giving the man time to think.

The past year had been quite interesting, to say the least. Who would have thought that a child would be sent back in time to fulfill a prophecy and get rid of the Dark Lord? Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore hadn't.

But there she was, Hermione Jane Granger, sixth year student and former Prefect; born in the future but living in the past. She was a child full of knowledge and with a barely lived childhood. She seemed so full of secrets, yet she shared numerous amounts of information with him and the other Order members. Did all children twenty years into the future grow up before their time? Were they all filled with such knowledge that most adults didn't even wield?

The burden placed on the congenial teenager was astounding. What her and her friends had gone through was something that most adults hadn't even seen in this era. Times would be bad -- that much was for sure.

The Headmaster stood up and turned to his faithful phoenix, Fawkes. She stroke the fire bird's crimson feathers and asked aloud, "Is it right for me to take advantage of a child's knowledge and deprive them of the childhood they could have had?"

The bird thrilled softly and the old man smiled sadly. He couldn't afford losing the information that Mrs. Granger had because of the sudden ferocity of the Death Eater attacks and activity of the Dark Lord but he couldn't help but feel guilty of taking away the girls fun. She was finally somewhere where she could relax a bit and not constantly worry about the troubles of war.

But what would happen if he let her go? She was valuable to the Order and the light side, and he had already seen her trying to recruit groups of students. Even if he asked her to try and live the life she should, she would still continue working with the children of known Death Eaters. From what he could tell so far, she had already pulled half a dozen of the children away from Voldemort's grasp.

She was a brilliant which.

Albus turned towards one of the many windows in his office and stared out at the dully lit grounds of Hogwarts. He had to think about what he would do.

* * *

Several hundred miles away, in a small house secluded from prying eyes by a large forested area, a boy had finally awoken, having just had a rather pleasant dream involving a certain brown-eyed girl.

Sighing to himself, said boy sat up in bed, rubbing groggily at his eyes before pulling his covers off of his body, exposing himself to the cold mid-morning air. He hissed in displeasure as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and his feet touched to cold floor, but nonetheless, dutifully stood up and began to stumbled about the medium-sized room for a suitable outfit to wear for the day.

After buttoning his shirt up but leaving two buttons unfastened, the boy walked out of his nearly empty room to a bathroom that was located across the hall to refresh himself.

As he stood in front of the sink, he looked up into the slightly cracked mirror that hung languidly on the wall, slightly tilted to the side. Sparkling blue eyes stared back at him from behind a curtain of russet hair. His face was slightly pale, the full moon having been only the week before and he was still feeling the slight effects of his monthly transformation on his body. It wasn't easy being a werewolf.

Remus John Lupin, sixth-year prefect, werewolf, and fellow Marauder, splashed a large amount of cold water on his face to fully wake himself up.

After drying his face with a hand-towel, he left the bathroom and padded down the small, carpeted hall until he reached a kitchen where a middle-aged woman was bustling about with cooking materials. She was shorter than Remus, and had light brown hair and a gentle face. Her eyes were a cinnamon brown, reflecting happiness and love.

"Morning, Mum," Remus smiled at the woman, who turned to look at him as he entered.

"Good Morning, dear. Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, Mum, thanks."

Remus' mum smiled gently down at him, "Are you hungry?"

"Famished," said the boy, giving the woman a small grin.

"I'd think you were, after that train ride yesterday. I never did like the train rides -- too long in my opinion. I remember when…"

The werewolf was well aware of these random rants, and tuned his mother out slightly, nodding and smiling at her when she stared expectantly at him. It wasn't that he didn't respect her or anything; it was just that he'd heard enough train ride stories to last him a life-time.

"And then your father, God bless his soul, came into the compartment all flustered. I asked him, 'Jared! What happened to you?" and he looked at me with his gorgeous blue eyes and said…"

Remus smiled at his mother again. Whenever she got onto the subject of his father, he didn't have the heart to hurt her feelings by seeming uninterested.

Remus' father, Jared Romulus Lupin, had died three years ago from a muggle cancer when he was in his third year, right before summer break had come. Remus had left for home a bit earlier than the rest of the school to attend the mans funeral; and that was one of the worst memories that he would ever recall.

He could remember his father -- a nice, carefree and cheery man that reminded him so much of Sirius, though not so rambunctious. Maybe that was why Remus had begun to think so highly of his friends after that happened; they seemed to have attitudes that rivaled his fathers. But there was also the fact that that was the very same year that they learned about his monthly problem and their reactions had been pretty much the same as his father's.

The boy wished that his father was happy wherever he was, though he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret every time he thought about his old man. He hadn't spent much time with him, seeing that he had been at school most of the time during his chemotherapy.

"I will always remember that day…" his mother finally trailed off, her eyes overly bright. "Oh, how I miss him."

Sighing lightly, Remus patted his mothers forearm gently, "Never lose the memories you have of him, and he'll always live on in our hearts. You know that, Mum."

"Of course I do, Remy dear," she replied tearfully. "I just miss him."

"As do I."

The woman leaned over and enveloped the unprepared boy in her arms, hugging him tightly. She spoke, her voice wavering, "At least I still have you, Remus."

The boy smiled gently, thinking the same about his own mother. She was pretty much the most important person in his life, thus far, and he knew it would kill him to lose her too. When his father passed away, his heart had been shattered to pieces, along with his mothers own.

Lupin Senior had been Remus' 'hero' as he'd grown up, especially after the unfortunate even when he had been bitten by a werewolf. His father stayed by his side the whole time, reassuring him that it wouldn't be so bad and that it would have some advantages. He swore to Remus that no matter what happened, he would always be his son and nothing could change that. Just thinking about the conversation they had brought tears to his eyes.

"_Remus, my boy! You're looking much healthier today. Feeling any better?"_

"_I am, Dad."_

"_That's great! Here, I snuck you something you might like."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Take a look,"_

"_Chocolate? Thanks, Dad!"_

"_Just don't tell your mother… Ah hah, don't give me that face Remus, you know she disapproves!"_

"_Alright! I wont tell her."_

"_That's my boy!"_

"_Dad! **That's** my hair!"_

"_Really? I could have sworn it was something else…" _

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… _What!"_

"_Dad… do you still love me?"_

"_Of course I do, son! Why wouldn't I? If this has something to do with the hair thing, I wont do it again, I promise!"_

"_**No**, this has nothing to do with my hair, Dad. I asked because… well, because now, I'm a… a you know.. **werewolf**."_

"_So? That doesn't mean I don't love you."_

"_Do you mean it?"_

"_Of course I do! No matter what, Remus, you will always be my son. Nothing will ever change that -- whether you're a werewolf, a vampire, a toad, frogspawn, a banshee, a cookie--"_

"_A **cookie**? What the--"_

"_Language son!"_

Remus wrapped his arms tightly around his mother, hugging the woman back with as much ferocity as her own hugs. He felt a lump form in his throat as the flashback hit him, and his eyes were watering unpleasantly. The death of his father was still a slightly fresh wound that would take a while to heal.

Mrs. Lupin sighed loudly before prying herself away from her son. Remus gave her an apologetic look before getting up and walking over to the stove, where a pan full of bacon lay sizzling on one of the four burners. He flipped it idly while his mother came up beside him and began cooking sausage on another one of the burners beside the bacon pan.

His mother preferred cooking the muggle way, rather than with magic. He never knew why, seeing that his mother had grown up with a witch and wizard for parents -- but then again, his grandmother on that side had been a muggleborn.

After the food had finished cooking, the duo sat down at the rugged, scrubbed kitchen table to eat their mid-morning meal in comfortable silence.

Remus took the time while he was eating to look about and see what had changed since he had left for Hogwarts months ago.

Its seemed that the house was practically the same, despite a few knick-knacks here and there.

The house that the Lupin's lived in was a slightly, run down cabin-like dwelling, but even so, it still had its homey touches. Most of the floors were made of wood, though a few were covered with a dark, forest green carpeting that matched the draperies on the windows. It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. The small house had been large enough for their family, and it was cheap -- perfect for them.

His family had never really had much money, but they had always gotten by with what they needed, even with a few struggles here and there. After Remus' father had died, his mother had taken up a job at a local market, where she could sometimes get discounts on food, or even bring home a variety of free or almost-expired goods.

Usually, during the summer, Remus would help his mother out by finding a job somewhere in the village a few miles away. The past two summers he had gotten a job at a small, neglected bookshop that paid fairly decent.

The upcoming summer was looking up.

The werewolf stole a glance at his mother, who was busy spreading marmalade on a piece of toast. She looked up and caught his glance, then smiled warmly and decided to strike up a conversation, "So Remus, how has school been?"

"It's been great, actually. I'm learning a lot this year. The new Defense teacher is brilliant."

"That's lovely dear. Are your friends treating you alright?"

"Yes, they are. I've actually made a few more friends this year," the boy stated quite proudly. Friendship was something that he valued greatly.

Mrs. Lupin beamed, "Will I be able to meet these young men anytime soon?"

"Er," Remus blinked, then turned slightly red in the face, "They aren't exactly… men. More like, women?"

The woman blinked, the words sinking in, then she got a knowing look on her face and grinned, "Girls, Remus dear? Do tell me, what are _they _like?"

Shifting uncomfortably under his mothers intense and mysterious 'oh-so-knowing' gaze, Remus answered her, "Well, one of them is a girl named Lily Evans. You know, I've spoken about her -- James fancies her. She's gotten quite close to us lately, and she's a great friend. Smart too."

"And what about the others?"

"Well, there's really only one other -- her name is Hermione Granger," the boy told her, then hesitated slightly. He didn't want to lie to his mother, but he couldn't just expose Hermione's secrets. "She, uh, just came here this year, actually. Moved from France, I believe, though she grew up here in Britain. She's a brilliant witch; really smart and intelligent. She can have a temper though, and can put James and Sirius in their respective places if she wants to. She's funny, also, and has a great sense of humor…"

The boy trailed on, unaware of the wide grin that made itself onto his mother face. "Tell me son, what's this young lady look like?"

"Oh, well, she has uh.. Wait, why do you want to know?"

The woman in front of him laughed heartily, confusing Remus greatly. What was she laughing at? Did he say something?

"Oh, Remy, if I didn't know any better, I'd believe you've become quite smitten with this young lady."

"What!" Her son nearly fell out of his chair and onto the hardwood floor. "I am _not_ smitten with her! She's just a really good friend, that's all," he told her defensively.

"If you say so, darling. Maybe I could meet her sometime before Christmas, hmm?"

Remus goggled at his mother. What was she getting at? "Er… well, I would ask her to come over, but she's staying at Hogwarts for the holidays."

"Why ever would she do that? I thought you said not many people were staying. Doesn't her family want her home to spend Christmas with them?"

He looked down at his place. He didn't want to lie any more to his mother about Hermione's actual… situation, so he said the closest thing to the truth, "Well, see, she doesn't _have _anyone to go home to."

Wincing slightly at the audible gasp from his mother, he knew what he said wasn't the best thing. The woman was always so sensitive about people without a parent or parents. But, well, it was the truth. She didn't have anyone to stay with during the holiday's.

"The poor dear-- I can't imagine how she feels. But where does she go during the summer?"

"Er…" he needed to make up an alibi, and he would have to make a mental note to speak with Hermione about it later on. "Well, her parents… they er, died a bit after school started, sometime in October. With no more living relatives to take her in, she came here to Britain, where Professor Dumbledore offered to take her in until something was worked out…"

"She has no where to stay? Bless Albus' soul; he's got a heart of gold, that one. Oh, I can't imagine… It must be so hard on her, with their deaths so fresh in her mind…"

"Yeah…" Remus muttered. He thought about it, and realized that Hermione and him were both alike in some ways. They both had a dark secret, they both had lost a parent -- or in her case, both parents.

The rest of the morning was spent with Mrs. Lupin asking Remus reverent questions about Hermione, which he answered the best he could. He mentally scolded himself for not asking Hermione about an alibi if anyone ever asked her and he hoped that there wasn't another set of her 'history' going about. That could cause a bit of trouble…

Eventually, his mother quieted down enough, saying she needed to get ready for work. Before she left though, Remus had spoke to her about the plans that James and the other Marauders had semi-planned, and asked if he would be allowed to stay with them at the Potter Vacation Home, and that she was more than welcome to come as well. She thought about it, then smiled and nodded, saying that it would be a 'lovely' idea, though she might not be able to join until the day or two before Christmas Eve.

Smiling at the woman who had raised him, Remus waved goodbye to her as she said her goodbyes, before disapparating. He sighed a bit, then turned around to head back into the house to write a letter to James and Sirius -- and then decided to also send Hermione a small letter, apologizing for his friends behavior the day that they left.

* * *

"Alright, alright, I get it."

"Finally!"

Hermione leant back in her chair, rubbing tiredly at her eyes. It wasn't even lunch yet and the Slytherin's were exhausting her. Their constant doubts, questions, smart remarks, and annoying sense of superiority was getting on her nerves.

After debating for hours and hours of what they would do come summer, they hadn't come up with anything new. The only plan they had was the previous one mentioned by Hermione. They didn't like the idea of going into hiding, but the girl tried to assure them that they would be safe, and could do a lot of things while they 'disappeared'.

She also tried to not give them too much information, keeping the Order secret, and succeeded although they kept questioning her about her 'contacts'.

Since Lucius, Narcissa, and Jason were all in their seventh year and would be able to live on their own after the school year was over, it would be a lot easier to go into hiding if they chose to. Lucius would, no doubt, have enough gold in his own vault to last him a long time. With a little persuasion, she could probably get him to sway to their needs and house them for the three months in which her, Severus, Regulus, and Michael would have to hide before another year at Hogwarts.

Until then, Hermione needed some time away from the constant bickering in the small dungeon room.

"I'm going to head to lunch now," she told them while standing up. "Anyone else coming?" The other students just shrugged or shook their heads, annoying Hermione further. "Fine, I'll talk to you later then. If anything comes up, send me an owl or come and find me."

With that, the girl left the Slytherin's and Hufflepuff alone in the 'brewing' room. She made her way through the winding halls of the castle, trying to sort out things from their conversation.

It would take a long time to get the others to trust her enough, but hopefully that would be done by the end of the sixth year.

Groaning loudly, she trudged down one of the many corridors of the castle. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was feeling remarkably lonely at the moment. She'd do anything just to have Lily, Remus, James, Sirius, or even _Peter_ around. The Slytherin's could be an alright group, but sometimes they were just downright annoying. Yet, that can happen with any bunch of friends -- oh, the number of times she could recall with Ron and Harry…

Shaking her head to rid herself of depressing thoughts, she headed down to the Great Hall. Before she got to the double doors though, she realized that she wasn't really hungry. She figured that she could just take a short walk outside in the blistering cold weather to ease her mind a bit.

Most would think her mental for chancing herself by going outside in the middle of winter when it the temperatures were below freezing. But honestly, she didn't mind much -- as long as she had a nice, warm cloak, she was all set.

Turning down a corridor, leading away from the Great Hall, Hermione took the path to the front doors and stepped outside. She was greeted by a blast of icy wind, causing her just-put-on scarf to flutter ridiculously about her head. She grabbed the end and wrapped it around one of her hands, relishing in the warmth it provided against her fingers -- it was a two-way thing; by wrapping her fingers in it, she could keep it from literally attacking her face, and she could keep her fingers warm. Good deal, no?

She pulled her winter cloak around her body a bit tighter, then headed out through the snow and towards the lake. She didn't really know what she was going to do outside, but a sudden sense of exploration hit her and the idea of sneaking into the Shrieking Shack filled her mind.

After a good amount of time, the girl trudging about through the snow, eventually found herself near the Whomping Willow. Not really sure of how to get to the knot at the base of the tree, she dug around the snow for a fairly long stick. Finding one, Hermione went forward, successfully dodging swinging branches and falling clumps of snow, though mainly successful because of previous experiences.

When she got within poking distance of the base of the tree, she pressed the knot with the end of the stick, causing the tree to freeze up and sway stiffly in the howling wind.

Smiling at her accomplishment, she ducked down into the hole that led down into the passageway that would guide her into the famous Shrieking Shack.

The walk was a bit long, but soon, she found herself inside of the torn up building. It wasn't as cold in there as it was outside, and she was grateful for it. Looking about the place and realizing that it didn't look so shabby as it had in her third year, she grimaced a bit.

Only Merlin knew what went on in that very shack every full moon.

Hermione walked quietly through the small, abandoned home, glancing about and examining various things. A few times, she saw dark stains on the floor or walls, and highly suspected it to be blood but she didn't actually investigate it -- she didn't want to know if it actually was and _if_ the stains really _were_ bloodstains, she was afraid of who the previous owner of it used to be -- and although her mind protested it could be someone else, she thought it would most likely be Remus'.

After about ten minutes, the brown-haired girl found herself inside of a bedroom. Said bedroom was the exact same one that she had first met Sirius black in and had also exposed Remus' secret in -- those memories would always haunt her. It was that very place that she would, in the future, find out about the traitorous history that involved a certain rat, the loyalty of a certain canine, and the love and sacrifice that a stag would give. More importantly to her, she would also find out the everlasting friendship that a werewolf would hold for his friends -- one that would help a man on the run stay alive with hope, one that would allow a guilty man to escape again -- though not on his (Remus') own will, and one that would always remember a loving friend that had gave his life for his son.

That werewolf, commonly known as Remus J. Lupin, had somehow burrowed himself into Hermione's mind. No matter what she was doing, he would sometimes just randomly pop into her mind -- his smiling face, his friendly reassurance, his sometimes-childish antics… everything about him, in Hermione's opinion, was perfect.

Hermione sat down heavily on the dusty bed and contemplated those very thoughts. Then she came to a conclusion -- could she actually _fancy_ Remus?

_No,_ she chided herself, _he's your **professor!**_

…

_He **will **be your professor._

…

…

_It's still wrong!_

She groaned, slapping her face lightly in attempt to get those thoughts out of her mind. Even if she did fancy Remus, it was very unlikely that he felt the same about her -- she was, after all, just a insufferable know-it-all with bushy not-to-mention untamable hair.

Chuckling slightly at that, she closed her eyes. She _really_ wanted to be home. It was Christmas after all, and all those times she had spent with her two best guy friends would be gone forever.

She felt herself drifting off to sleep, buried deep in her cloak for warmth and comfort as she lay in the dusty, moth-eaten bed. She was about to slip into the blissful unconsciousness when she heard a light tapping coming from somewhere in the room.

Fearing that she might not be alone in the shack, Hermione sat bolt upright and looked around. She didn't see anything at first, then listened carefully to where the sound was coming from.

The window?

She walked over to the dirty, filth covered window and slipped it open cautiously. The girl was surprised, however, when a small barn owl swooped into the shack, landing gracefully on the bedside table. She stared at it quizzically at first, then figured it was something from Lucius or Severus.

She took the letter off of its leg and it hooted dolefully at her before taking off again. She shut the window, shivering at the sudden blast of wind, then picked up the parchment.

Unrolling it slowly, she realized that it wasn't from one of the Slytherin's, but rather, it was from Remus.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I just wanted to write to you to see how your holiday is going so far. I hope you aren't too upset about the row you had with Sirius -- he's just being paranoid. It really isn't any of his business, knowing what you do or do not do. He should respect you -- but I can't talk any sense into him without him throttling me for such a remark. He is, after all, Sirius._

_Also, another reason for me sending you this letter is, my mother was asking about you, and I had to put up an alibi since I actually didn't have one for your life history._

_I hope that you don't get mad at me, but I felt that I needed to tell you…_

She scanned the rest of the letter, silently cursing herself for not ever speaking to the others about an alibi. Of course someone would _eventually _wonder where her parents were, and why she never went home for different holidays. She was actually thankful that Remus came up with what he did -- she wasn't really in the mood to come up with her own alibi.

Hermione flopped back down on the bed, causing dust to rise up into the air, dimming what little light filtered into the room.

Sneezing lightly, the girl covered her nose and mouth with her scarf, closed her eyes, and curled up on the bed with Remus' letter clutched to her chest unnoticed.

She was dimly aware that she was actually falling asleep in the shack as one last thought slipped into her mind.

_Maybe I **do **fancy Remus… but just… a little…._

* * *

A/N: So what'd you think about Remus' 'history'? Anyways, the poll is closed, and I want to thank each and every single one of you who voted. Those who voted yes, I'm sorry that the 'yes' vote didn't win. You guys are great!

Also, just so you know, I more than likely wont be updating until after Christmas -- I do have some family get-togethers to attend and whatnot, so I doubt I'll have any more time updating until after all that stuff is over. Consider this chapter a Christmas gift? I dunno', but anyways, Happy Holiday's everyone!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the HP books and/or movies is not mine.**

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A/N: Alright, another chapter! Uh, please read the author's note at the bottom for more information, and please read the 'Please read this' thing a bit down the page. It's IMPORTANT! I really don't want to get a bunch of reviews or emails asking me when I'm going to update if I haven't in a while. I mean, I don't mind them, it's just that if I get too many of them, I'll probably get annoyed. But I love you guys! I love getting your reviews, and I hope you guys are understanding. Anyways, on to the other stuff. -- Min

**Thanks **Ivory Black aka Torri-Chiobie, Angelic Bladez, Evil Cat Hater, larthawyn, wally4ever, The Insane Imortal Dragon, KeLpIeenoch, Black-rose23, quirkgrrl, Aprila, Bluefirestarlily, little mimi, ourlittlesecret7, LunaLovegoss, Alexia321, why do you wanna know?, hp fan!, K.K.Anderson, Katsheswims, rocknrollchck, and terra **for the reviews!**

* * *

**PLEASE READ THIS!** This story is going on hold for a while! Not for an extremely long time, just about a month or so. The reason: I wanted to work on my other story, Where are the Children. I hope you guys understand, and I know it wont be too bad. I've gone about a month or so without updating this story, and you guys are so wonderful that you wont complain -- too much I hope.

* * *

Seasons Change

By: xScenex

a.k.a. Min

Chapter 16

* * *

"Emily, it's so nice to see you again! And Harold!"

"Isabel, I'm glad to see you could make it. You look much better, I must say," Mr. Potter said while he moved aside, allowing Mrs. Lupin and her son, Remus, to step into the vast entrance hall of Potter Manor.

"Well, you know, time has passed and all."

"Thank you for allowing Remus to come over," Mrs. Potter smiled and led the other woman to the sitting room.

"No, I should thank you. Remus has been looking forward to coming over ever since I told him he could this morning. When I got home from the market he was practically jumping up and down, waiting for me to get ready."

The two women laughed lightly and the boy trailing her, who was the victim of their speech, blushed slightly, "I was not 'jumping up and down', I was just… moving around and trying to find everything."

"Dear, you just got home yesterday. You shouldn't have to find everything. Most of it was still packed up in your trunk."

Unable to respond to that, Remus shrugged and said, "Mrs. Potter, where can I find James and Sirius?"

"They're up in their rooms, Remus. I hardly know what they've been doing up there all day, and I don't intend to find out. No doubt it's some new prank of theirs. Peter should be over within the next hour."

The werewolf smiled and nodded, excusing himself from the women's presence. He walked through the halls and up a flight of stairs until he reached the landing where James and Sirius' rooms lay. He walked to the door to the left, placing his ear against the wood but didn't hear anything. He did the same to the other and could distantly hear the muffled voices of his friends.

He knocked, causing the occupants in the room to shuffle inside a bit before the door suddenly opened and the guilty face of Sirius popped out of the crack. When he spotted the werewolf, his face lit up with a large, lopsided grin.

"Moony! Come on, we were just planning."

"Right. _Planning._"

Remus walked through the door, glancing suspiciously around the room. She spotted James laying oddly on the floor over a large lump of blankets with his arms and legs sprawled about over the sides. He greeted his other friend heartily and rolled off of the large mass before standing up.

"We can't take too many chances. Any of our parents could come up here at any moment and then everything would be ruined."

"What are you two planning this time?" Sighed the russet haired boy.

"Oh, just a bit of this and that. You know, the usual."

"You wont tell me?"

"We will, but we have to wait until Wormtail gets here. I don't really feel like explaining it twice -- you know how that is."

"Alright."

All three boys took places on the soft, maroon carpet. They chatted for a while about various things until another knock resounded from the door across from the room.

"Enter!" James called out in a loud, booming voice that caused Sirius to snicker.

Taking command, the person outside of the door turned the knob and it swung open, revealing the smiling face of Peter. He walked in and flopped down next to the other three.

"I can't wait until dinner," he told them matter-of-factly before anyone had spoken, "because dinner smells great."

"With mum cooking, it just doesn't smell good, it taste good," James said proudly.

Sirius smiled from his sprawled out position on the floor, "Emily's cooking is the best. Better than Hogwarts, in my opinion."

"Just don't say that to her, otherwise you'll get whacked upside the head," the messy black haired boy replied.

"Remember the time I tried to flatter her about her apple pie and she chased me out of the kitchen with the oven mitt? Or the other time when I complemented on her hair and she got all fluttered, then tried to shoo me away with the broom? I swear, that woman can't take compliments."

James just laughed and propped his legs up on the large, lumpy mass of whatever it was they were hiding. He fell backwards onto Peters legs, grinning cheekily at the other boy. "Hope you don't mind, Wormtail."

Peter shrugged and leaned against the bed behind him, "So what do you guys have planned for the next few days?"

Sirius waved a hand lazily above him and repeated his words from before, "Oh, a bit of this and that. You know, the usual."

"The usual doesn't involve scaring muggles, does it?" Remus queried.

"What do you take us for?"

"Marauders?" He replied.

"But of course!"

"So I take it as a yes? You will be scaring muggles?" The prefect sighed.

"All in good time, Moony."

"I should have known that was what you were planning earlier."

"Hey! What we were planning _earlier_ has nothing to do with scaring muggles. That will come later on." James winked.

"I don't want anything to do with it," Remus huffed. "I don't want to be the one who has to explain everything to our parents and the policemen."

"Those bobbies wont know what hit them!"

"Ugh, leave it to you to be ignorant of the law."

"We are Marauders, Moony. Don't forget it."

"How could I?"

Sirius fake pouted and chucked a chocolate frog wrapper at Remus. The other boy wasn't aware of the flying packaging until it collided with the side of his head. He narrowed his eyes slightly, then picked up a pillow next to him and hurled it at the boy. With a doggish grin, Sirius caught it.

"Too slow, Moony. You couldn't hit me if -- Oomph!"

If Remus couldn't get Sirius, then James could. Sirius sat back up after being brutally attacked by a red-covered pillow. "How _dare _you!"

"How dare me?"

"I thought I was your best friend!"

"You are, you bampot."

Sirius snorted, "I am not a bampot, you barmy scallywag--"

"You sound like my grandpa, Padfoot."

"Ew…"

Remus laughed along with James and Peter.

"James, Sirius, Remus, Peter -- dinners ready!"

All of them looked at one another, nodded, then at the same time, all four of them jumped up simultaneously and ran for the door. It was going to be their usual race of who could get to the dining room first -- so far, after literally squeezing through the doorframe, Sirius was in lead, Remus and James practically tied behind him, and Peter lagged, but not too much.

Sirius laughed maniacally as he attempted to turn around a corner but misjudged his direction and somehow ended up on the floor after hitting the corner. James and Remus, being close behind him, tripped over his legs and tumbled down on top of him.

"Ow!"

"Bloody Hell, Padfoot, what did you go and fall for?"

"Ow… my legs…"

Remus sat up, rubbing gingerly at the side of his head. He looked up, and saw, to his amusement, that Peter had crept past them and was making his way to the dining room without them. The werewolf turned to James who was helping pull Sirius to his feet and said, "I think Pete beat us for once."

"Bollocks."

* * *

Hermione felt as if she had been thrown into a muggle freezer. She shivered, and tried to make herself warmer by pulling her blanket around her but then realized that it wasn't a blanket that was around her.

Groggily, she opened her eyes and the first thing that she noticed was that she wasn't in her own bed. She wasn't even in Gryffindor tower -- no, she was nowhere near it. The girl sat up slowly, her cloak falling off of her and onto her lap. It was dark, cold, and quiet. She was still in the shrieking shack.

She let out a deep sigh, the mist of her breath floating in front of her, then breathed in the chill, damp air, trying to wake herself up more. She had no idea of what time it was. For all she knew, it could have been well past midnight and she would have never known. One thing she did know was that she wanted to be in the warmth of the Gryffindor common room with something warm to eat.

Slowly sliding her way off of the old, ratty bed, Hermione stood up and stretched. The bed hadn't exactly been comfortable and it was by no means good for her back. After a moment, her eyes had become focused on the darkness that enclosed the small and abandoned bedroom. After picking up her cloak and draping it around herself tightly while trying to shut out the cold chill, she noticed something white laying on the bed where she had formerly been sleeping.

Hermione picked the object up and realized that it was the letter Remus had sent her earlier that afternoon. She blinked slowly a few times, then smiled in the dark. It had been sweet of him to post her and apologize for his friends, even though he wasn't the soul cause of it all.

She tucked the letter into her cloak as she decided it was time to make it back to Hogwarts.

Her attempts to find the passage leading back to the Whomping Willow though, proved to be a failure. Slightly panicked, Hermione searched and searched for the passageway but to no avail.

Cursing loudly to herself, she searched out the front room so that she could attempt leaving through the door; she would rather go through Hogsmeade than to have to spend the rest of the night inside of the Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore would probably send out a search party for her if he found out that she was missing.

She had only ever been in the shack one other time and when she had, it wasn't just for her own pleasure. She didn't have any idea of where anything was in the small house. Even so, she eventually found the front door.

It creaked and groaned on its hinges when she was finally able to pry it open, and she was more than happy when the fresh air from outside hit her face.

She slipped through the opening and re-shut the door, not wanting to make it obvious that someone had been in there -- although it wouldn't really matter. No one would care, and if they did, they could easily just follow her footprints through the snow. It wasn't as if she could completely get rid of her tracks.

The walk back to the Hogwarts gates was slow and tiring. It had been a good twenty minutes by the time the girl had made it there. As she passed the dark entry to the grounds of Hogwarts, she heard something to her right coming from the foliage of the Forbidden Forest.

Fearing that it might be a creature from inside of the wooded area, she reached into her cloak and pulled out her wand. She knew what kind of creatures resided in that place and she didn't particularly feel like being ambushed by something, especially in the dark.

She began walking by the area where the noise came from, hoping to remain inconspicuous, but when she realized that it wasn't a creature there, but people, she paused for a moment. Who would be in the Forbidden Forest? Nothing good ever came from that.

Hermione pulled the hood of her cloak up and readjusted her grip on her wand before she walked to the edge of the forest. A little bit of eavesdropping wouldn't hurt, would it?

"-- didn't like it."

"You think? The Dark Lord isn't pleased about it either."

"Do you think that I already didn't know that? After all, he did hex and curse anyone in the room when he was informed."

"That's nothing new. Anyway, we're here to find out what's going on. One of the students -- I believe it was Lestrange, told the Dark Lord that the Malfoy and Snape brats have been hanging around some mudblood Gryffindor, and if that's true, I don't want to be the one to report it in. Both Malfoy and the Dark Lord will curse us to hell and back."

"Did Lestrange say what the mudblood's name was?"

"Grai.. Grainer… Granger! It was Granger!"

Hermione blinked rapidly. So one of Voldemort's followers had reported her and the others in.

"…"

"So we're just here to find out what's going on?"

"Yes, and no. The Dark Lord said, if possible, to bring him the mudblood."

"And how do you propose we do _that_? We can't just go into Hogwarts. That's like a death sentence."

"Were you not listening to the Lord's orders earlier? He said to await Christmas Eve!"

"Christmas Eve…?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Ohhh, the attack…!"

"Bright one you are."

Hermione had heard enough. She turned around and slowly made her way out of the underbrush as discreetly as she could. She didn't want to get caught now -- not after hearing that, even if the two didn't sound to bright. They were out to _kidnap _her, and here she was, only a few yards away from them. Bright lot, they were indeed.

She wasn't pleased with what she had just heard. For one, there were Death Eaters that close to the castle, and also, her presence had been found out a lot earlier than she hoped. She hadn't expected someone to actually report her and the others in, but now that she thought about it, she had been pretty dense on that matter. There was bound to be someone who would do it.

She needed to tell Dumbledore. He'd be interested in hearing that Death Eaters dared to get as close to Hogwarts as the Forbidden Forest, and he would also know what to do about her. Even if she had to reveal her plan to him, she would. Just as long as they found a way for her to stay safe and away from Voldemort at the moment.

The reason behind that was -- Hermione simply wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to face Voldemort yet. She had planned on training herself, learning a bit more about the present history, and of course, she had plans on meeting the Order and seeing what they could do to lower Voldemort's defenses. He had too many followers at the moment that even if she tried to duel him, she would be shot down by numerous Death Eaters.

And being killed by Death Eaters before getting her chance at Voldemort didn't bode to well with her. So she wasn't about to let herself get caught.

As the voices faded and she drew closer to the castle, she thought of what she was going to do. If there truly was going to be an attack on Christmas Eve, she would have to plan something out with Dumbledore. There weren't enough professor's in the castle to keep things even, and it was obvious that they would be outnumbered two to one. She figured that it was a good thing that most of the students had gone home, but what about the Slytherin's? What would happen to them if they were caught too?

Hermione sighed as she entered the building. It wouldn't do for her to worry about things. What she needed to do was devise a plan and hope everything went as she hoped.

The castle was quiet. It must have been passed curfew. Hermione looked left and right, fearing that she might run into Filtch or Mrs. Norris. She didn't want to deal with either of them at the moment either.

But luck was on her side and she made it to Gryffindor tower without any incidents or problems. Her luck drew further when she found that the common room was empty.

The girl sat down in one of the large armchairs by the fire and started to arrange her thoughts. She would go see Dumbledore in the morning and tell him about what she had overheard and hopefully he would be able to help her with making a plan -- most likely he would, but she couldn't be too sure. Sometimes, in her original time, she sometimes wondered about his actions.

So that's how she spent the rest of her night, in front of the Gryffindor common room's fire, thinking, planning, and devising. One thing though, that she wouldn't admit to herself, was that she was scared. Scared for her safety, scared for her friends safety, and scared for the future. But that feeling was hidden deeply inside of herself that she didn't even realize it was there yet.

And she would soon realize it. It would be something she hadn't felt since she had left her home in the future. It was something she had thought she had left behind, and it was something that would make her realize just how Harry felt when things were up to him.

* * *

A/N: Alright, this chapter was a bit shorter than usual, and I'm sorry for that. It's just that I'm in a small hurry, and I did promise that I'd get a chapter up about this time. I hope it's not confusing, or too jumbled up. Please, please, I beg you, tell me what you think of this chapter. I want to know if I need to fix it up -- even if no one tells me it does, I'll probably go back and fix it anyways. I'm not happy with it. Irk.. NOW! IF YOU DIDN'T READ THIS BEFORE, **PLEASE READ THIS!** _This story is going on hold for a while! Not for an extremely long time, just about a month or so. The reason: I wanted to work on my other story, Where are the Children. I hope you guys understand, and I know it wont be too bad. I've gone about a month or so without updating this story, and you guys are so wonderful that you wont complain -- too much I hope. _Uh, anyways, I hope you guys enjoy, or slightly enjoy reading this. I also hope that everyone's had a wonderful New Year's so far. Take care! -- Min 


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the HP books and/or movies is not mine.**

* * *

A/N: Eeh! It's been forever! I'm so sorry, guys! But! I'm back on track, and writing this story once more. Though, I will have some trouble updating often. I recently got a job, and I've been utterly busy. I've hardly had time to sleep, that's how busy I am. -Sigh.- Ah' well. I'll promise to try to update at least ever week! If I don't, make it two weeks, but I'll try my best to get it at least once a week. AT LEAST! Anywho… this chapter isn't great, but it's getting somewhere in the plot. I hope. And,I want to point out, that there will be some romance drama in my story. THOUGH! It will be Hermione/Remus in the end, there will be some conflicts on the way. I mean, what's a good romance story without drama? But nothing serious will happen. Just a bit of confusion, jealousy, and whatnot between a few people. Well, here's the next chapter! Enjoy! (For anyone that I didn't reply to your reviews, I'm so sorry! I had so many, that I couldn't just reply to all of them -- not to mention that a bunch of them were from a while back, and I figured it was too late to respond. I'm sorry guys!) -- Min

**Thanks** Angelic Bladez, Evil Cat Hater, Ivory Black aka Torri-Chiobie, The Insane Imortal Dragon, KeLpIeenoch, wally4ever, rocknrollchck, Katsheswims, LoveroftheTwins326, Nocturne, LunaLovegoss, Black-rose23, ibelievinsnorkack, Lovin'Moony, BexyLou, little mimi, Reanne1102, animerocksjapanrocks, Soiel, Imogen262, Spunx182, maraudersrock77, DarkPortAtreides, and Dark-Compassion **for the reviews!**

* * *

Seasons Change

By: xScenex

a.k.a. Min

Chapter 17

* * *

It was nearing Christmas Eve. The sun was shining, the waves were gently caressing the sand on the beach, and the Marauders were having the time of their lives.

At the moment, the four boys were out on the beach, wooing a group of girls. Ever since they had arrived there, all they had done was cause trouble, flirt, and do what the Marauders usually did.

Well, actually, it was mostly James and Sirius doing the flirting. Though out of all of them, it was mostly Sirius. James, it seemed, had lost his interest in flirting with random girls. This confused Sirius, but he didn't mention it. He was too occupied anyway when the thoughts resurfaced.

Remus was having fun, though not as much as he would have thought. He kept getting a deep sense of foreboding and it caused him to become edgy and jumpy. It really wasn't like him, and his friends had begun to notice. But like Sirius, none of them said anything about anything odd because they were too busy with their own affairs.

It was a cool day, not blistering cold, but not warm either. The beach was practically deserted except for the small clusters of teenagers and children who had come out just to hang around.

Sirius was in the middle of having an animated conversation with a pretty brunette and James, along with Peter and three girls were playing a very interesting game of volleyball. To Remus, it looked as if they were playing 'keep away from Peter'. When he asked James about it moments before, he just said something along the lines of, 'Peter's the net!' though the shorter boy seemed oblivious to it all.

The games continued on and on, and quite a few times, Peter was clonked on the head with the volleyball or some other random object. Remus began wondering if the boy would be affected by any of it by the time they were finished; the pudgier boy might end up getting a concussion.

At the current moment, the werewolf was sitting on the ground, legs stretched out in front of him as he enjoyed the slight breeze that wafted over him. The laughter around him soothed his mind and he stared out into the ocean. Everything was peaceful.

Throughout the whole school year, he hadn't felt anything like what he did now. There had always been tension, confusion, or something else to unsettle the group.

But none of it had been like that before Hermione came -- unless you counted the time when Sirius nearly killed Snape.

Something about Hermione made each of the four boys uneasy. For Sirius, it seemed that it was because of her knowledge and of her alliance with some of the Slytherin's. James was unsettled because of the looks she sometimes gave him. Peter didn't trust her much, but otherwise, he didn't care. Now, Remus was only uneasy around her because of the growing feelings that had engulfed him.

Truth be told, he was scared of the feelings.

"Mooooony!"

The boy looked up into the grinning face of Peter.

"Huh?"

"You were dozing off for a moment. The others wanted to know if you wanted to go grab something to eat?"

"What? Oh, uh, sure," he replied, standing up.

He brushed the sand off of his clothes and joined the other boys, who were talking enthusiastically about how they had been caught by the police the other day for shooting off numerous fireworks in a public restroom.

"Remember the look on that old man's face? That was priceless!" Sirius crowed loudly, waving his arms around. He nearly hit the others upside their heads, but they decided to move well out of the boy's range.

"He wasn't the only one," James snickered, then shot Remus a look, "Moony here could've gave that man a run for his money with the face he gave."

"Excuse me for having good hearing and a ridiculously great sense of smell," Remus replied dryly.

"Ah, you have to admit though, it _was_ pretty fun," Peter cajoled.

"If you consider being held in a police station for two hours fun."

"It was, Moony. _I _had fun at least," Sirius grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah," James waved a hand lazily towards the other dark haired boy, "He got to flirt with that one gorgeous officer -- what was her name? Tiffany?"

Sirius tried to keep a strait face, "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I didn't flirt with her."

"Then what did you do?"

"I just _persuaded_ her that the firework incident was an _accident_ --"

"So _that's_ why they let us go eventually without calling our parents," Peter mused.

"Pete here's a smart one!" James and Sirius said in unison, causing Peter to blush deeply. Remus couldn't help but notice the sarcasm in their voices. Peter really was oblivious to everything going on around him.

"You know," he began, "it's a wonder I ever ended up with you blokes in the first place."

The others looked offended. "Dearest Moony, are you saying you do not enjoy our company?"

"Well…" Remus said teasingly, "It depends."

"On what?" James squawked.

"On how much trouble is involved."

"Tsk, tsk. Moony, Moony, Moony. Don't you remember the guidelines to us Marauders?" Sirius asked gravely. "Rule number one: Thou shall always cause trouble for thy elders and peers. Rule number Two: When there's a Marauder in need, there are rules you don't heed. Rule number--"

"Okay, okay, I remember!" The russet haired boy cried out in disdain.

"Always the smart one, you are." Sirius grinned, then leaned over to whisper to James, "Good thing he cut me off at number three. I didn't remember it, so I was just going to make something up about Snivellus."

"Or you could have made up something about flirting," James added with a smirk.

"Okay, come on guys, I'm hungry," Remus rolled his eyes, "I'd rather talk about other affairs than of IQ's and flirting."

"Spoilsport," came three voices.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts castle, things weren't as cheery as they were on the beach.

"Minerva, they're coming through the gates!" Professor Sinistra shouted.

"Karen, make sure that the front entry is blocked off -- we can't allow them inside the castle," McGonagall urged the other woman before turning her attention to the elderly wizard standing in front of her, "Albus, there's too many of them!"

"We'll hold them off," he replied, a determined glint in his eyes. "They will not get what they came here for."

The transfiguration teacher gaped, "Wh-- Albus! What are you talking about? They _want _something? Why, by Merlin, would you bring something into the castle and endanger the lives of the students!"

"It's not exactly a 'something' that they want. It's more of a 'someone'."

A look of dawning appeared on the woman's face and the determined glint appeared in her eyes as well, "No, they will not get what they came here for."

The Death Eaters were advancing. Step by step, they came, white masks glinting in the afternoon sun.

Across the grounds, almost all of the professors were standing in a small line, each with their wands outstretched in front of them. They were horribly outnumbered.

Meanwhile, inside of the castle, Hermione and the rest of the remaining students were all waiting anxiously in Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster had thought it safer to keep them there, since no one would be able to get in if something happened and the Death Eaters stormed Hogwarts.

It was rather crowded, and the younger students were frightened, causing panic in the room.

"Everyone, calm down!" Hermione finally shouted, "Nothing is going to happen!"

Severus gave her a look and mumbled, "That's for you to say."

Hermione glared, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't you realize? The Death Eaters are here for you -- but the professors are out there and they are outnumbered, in case you haven't noticed."

The girl glanced out of the window. She could faintly see the professors standing idly below, with the advancing mass of Death Eaters moving towards them. Severus was right. "I realize that, but Dumbledore can find a way," she told the black haired boy.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I…"

That's when she realized that she wasn't so sure. When she had spoke to the Headmaster about what was going to happen, he seemed to be at a loss of what to do. When she questioned him about it, he told her it was nothing and she let it go. Now, thinking back, she knew that the look in his eyes was one of cost. He was planning on protecting her 'till the end, and Hermione wasn't prepared to let him go before his time.

She stood up quickly, causing Severus and Lucius to stare at her.

"And pray tell, what do you think you're doing?" The blonde asked.

"I can't just let them stay down there!" Hermione replied, "The Death Eaters are only here because of me--"

"And you're going to go down there and sacrifice yourself, right?" Severus drawled icily.

"I can't let them just die down there!"

"Typical Gryffindor," Lucius muttered. "Bloody insolent fools, the lot of them."

Hermione just glared coolly at him. "What would you like me to do?" She asked after a moment. "Just sit here while they die down there? I'm not about to have _that _guilt placed on my shoulders."

"It's a wonder I even talk to you!" Lucius flung his arms above his head in a un-Lucius fashion, causing some of the younger students to gawk.

"I'm not one to let people do my dirty work," hissed Hermione, undeterred by what the Slytherin said.

Severus took this time to speak up, "If you're going, then I'm going too."

"What! You're both INSANE!"

Silence echoed in the room after the blonde's outburst. Hermione was rather amused as too red spots appeared on the Malfoy's face as numerous pairs of eyes glued onto him.

"I don't care about what you do, Lucius, but I'm going out there," Hermione told him seriously as she pointed towards the window before she walked determinedly towards the door.

Severus glanced at his fellow housemate, then stood up and followed the time-traveler as promised. Lucius didn't make any move to budge from his spot in his chair, though the girl could have sworn she saw a glint of concern flash across his face and his eyes seemed to be clouded with worry. But just as fast as the emotions came, they were gone, and all of it could have easily been passed off as a figment of her imagination.

As the spiraling staircase took them down to the first entrance, Hermione said, "Severus, I just want you to know, I appreciate you coming with me."

The raven haired boy looked at her without any emotion on his face -- which reminded her strongly of the Snape of her previous time. Silence followed the look, and Hermione took that as her cue to stay quiet. He must have felt as horrible as her at the moment. Knowing they were about to go into a battle full of Death Eaters didn't settle well with most people.

The halls seemed to echo with every little noise around them. Creaks from the staircases, their own footsteps, the slight whispering of the portraits, and the groaning of the castle itself.

The duo were almost to the Great Hall when a loud '_BOOM!_' echoed through the castle. Dust fell from the ceiling and the ground seemed to shake dangerously underneath them.

"I don't like the sound of that," Hermione managed to squeak out.

The boy looked pointedly at her, "Do you still think this is a good idea?"

"I'd rather risk my life out there, than have my friends die."

"Friends? Don't tell me you've gone and had tea and biscuits with the professor's," the boy replied dryly.

Hermione couldn't help but reply with: "And did I ever have tea and biscuits with you?"

"This is no time for jokes, Granger!"

The girl winced slightly at the last name bases he was using. That only meant he was absolutely serious about what was going on. "You're the one talking about tea and biscuits."

Another '_BOOM_!' cut off whatever remark Severus was about to say. They both held their arms out for balance and looked fleetingly at one another before they exchanged a slight nod. Then they took off for the main doors, wands drawn and ready.

* * *

"We have orders to get the girl!" A rough voice grumbled over the shouts and cruel laughter.

"We need to get inside the castle, first," a softer, more feminine voice replied as a figure appeared next to the one who had spoken.

"We need to get passed the mudblood lover's defense fields first. Line up some of the best and have them start on tearing down the barriers!"

Shuffling could be heard, and then someone shouted names out through the thick mass of black cloaks and white masks.

"Malfoy! Avery! Nott! Black! Parkinson! Jenkins! Up front, now!"

Six figures detached themselves from the mass of black and made their way to the front of the line. The pervious woman then gave orders for them to begin working at un-weaving the barriers in front of them.

They set to work.

It took mere minutes before the first wall fell, but the backlash of magic that followed left a quarter of the Death Eaters on the ground and a large booming sound echoed through the grounds.

"TAKE THE OTHERS DOWN!" The gravely voice yelled over the panicked shouts. "GET THROUGH ALL OF THE BARRIERS!"

The followers obliged. The second barrier took three times longer to get down, but as soon as it was down and the backlash hit, they were once again trying to get through the third one.

This didn't look good.

* * *

"Bloody hell," Severus cursed as he set eyes on the soon to be battle before them.

Hermione shot him a look, but didn't reply straight away. "You know, Sev. This might be the end of it if we aren't careful."

The boy shifted slightly from where they stood in the shadows and peeked over at her. He too didn't reply right away, but when he did, his voice was even and calm.

"This won't be the end. This can't be. I _know _that this won't be it."

The brown haired girl stared at the boy a moment, then a gentle smile graced her face. "Thanks, Sev. That's what I needed to hear."

Severus' face turned a bit pink and he smiled slightly at her in return. "Are you ready for this?"

There was a slight pause, in which the icy wind picked up forcefully, whipping their scarves and cloaks around. The girl set her eyes on the mass of people yards away, though her eyes seemed to be taking in something beyond that.

"As I will ever be," came her response.

"Well.." the Slytherin tucked his scarf into his robe and readjusted his grip on his wand. "Then here goes nothing. Lets go."

The too figured ran from the shadows of the entrance doors simultaneously. The sky was clouded over with dark grey clouds that threatened to shower them with freezing cold rain, or maybe even more snow. The wind continued to press coldly against them as they ran towards the Death Eaters and professors on the ground before them.

Hermione wasn't exactly prepared for this, but she was still determined. She ran through the barriers that the professors had put up, with Severus hot on her heels. Shouts of protest echoed towards them, but neither paid any mind to what was being said. Hermione wasn't about to falter on her courage. As soon as she came within striking distance of the nearest cloaked figure, she shot out a curse. It hit its target full on, causing the person to fall down onto the ground, stunned.

Severus followed after her, shooting off hexes and curses left and right without more than a two second pause between each one. Hermione noticed that the majority of them were dark curses, but she wasn't about to say anything about it when she was in the middle of dodging curses being flung at her from all sides.

_We seem to be doing well, _Hermione grimaced to herself as she jumped aside as a cutting curse came towards her. She wasn't so lucky though, and was cut on her upper arm. She gritted her teeth and blinked rapidly, as if trying to rid herself of the searing hot needles that seemed to pierce through her arm. She was too occupied with the recent wound, that she didn't noticed the next curse that came from behind her.

She vaguely heard someone shouting behind her. She turned around, and everything seemed to slow down remarkably, until it seemed as if every second were a minute.

An orange streak of light flew towards her, glowing eerily in the odd contrast of dark sky and cloaks, and white, bloodied snow. Sparks flew out from behind the strip of light, giving it somewhat of a sparkling tail. The sounds around her seemed to be egging the spell on in some odd sense, and the girl just stood there, unable to move. It was almost hypnotizing.

The light came closer and closer, until it was mere inches away. Hermione felt herself reaching forward slightly, as if to touch it, but as suddenly as she was in the daze, she felt herself being ripped out of it as something solid collided with her.

But she didn't fall out of the way in time, and the orange light struck her in the shoulder.

The girl gasped in pain and she heard someone curse from above her. It felt as if someone had taken a branding iron and shoved it into her skin.

She looked up, her vision becoming blurrier every second; though she wasn't sure if it was because of the tears she felt welling up in her eyes from the pain, or if it was just because of the darkness she felt pulling at her from the corner of her sight. She saw dark eyes staring back at her. Whoever was laying on top of her seemed to be trying to get her to respond, but she couldn't get herself to part her lips and make any noise.

The last thing she saw before she fell into unconsciousness was the look of surprise on the person face before he, too, fell to the ground beside her.

* * *

It was cold.

A chill seeped into every corner of the surrounding area without mercy. A draft blew through the thin slit windows high up near the ceiling, letting in a flurry of sleet that fell from the angry sky.

The grey stone of the structure didn't provide any warmth for the two figures that lay in the small cell, completed with a large, metal door with a large bolt on the other side.

One of the figures had his back up against one of the walls. The person cradled the other in his arms, though unmoving. Anyone would have thought them to be dead, for all the movement that came from them.

These people inside of the cell just so happened to be recent prisoners from the raid on Hogwarts.

One Hermione Granger and one Severus Snape. Neither of them were in any condition to be moving much anytime soon.

"Hermione…" Severus said with a raspy voice.

The girl was breathing slowly, and her pulse wasn't very strong. Even as a Slytherin, he was worried about the girls well being.

She had been one of the only people to ever accept him for who he was, and he wasn't ready to lose her. She was the only beckon of hope he had left in the world. She had led him to know the life he had always wished he could have -- one with friends, love, and more importantly, control.

"Hermione, wake up…"

The girl stirred slightly, but that was the only sign she gave to indicate that she might have heard him.

The boy sighed and shifted his body into a more comfortable position. If anyone ever saw him in such a position, he would never live it down. Severus Snape, trying to comfort a Gryffindor girl? No one would believe it. He didn't really believe it either -- he had wished over and over again that everything was just a dream. But it wasn't; the pain from his wounds guaranteed that it wasn't.

Severus looked down at Hermione's flushed face. She looked as if she had a fever, but the only thing that the Slytherin could do about it was make sure she was warm enough.

He moved a strand of hair out of her face slowly. How he wished he could be back in Hogsmeade on the day she confronted him about his problems. That day had been of nothing but innocence compared to the current situation. And he preferred Hermione's carefree attitude rather than the lifelessness that she had now.

And he found it odd.

Almost all of his life, he had preferred the company of no one. He hated almost everyone, and envied almost everything. That is, until _she _came into the picture.

This mysterious girl, who he knew so much about, though also so little.

Sure, he'd put together what her favorite color was, what her favorite book and food was. And he'd never do that, usually. It felt odd, knowing things like that; Slytherin's didn't bother with that stuff. They only cared about ambition and themselves. But other than those simple, ordinary things, he knew almost nothing about her past. It was unnerving, in a sense.

Severus shook his head slowly, clearing his mind. It wouldn't do to worry about the girl's past -- he wouldn't ever find out about it if she died there in the cell from a fever.

He needed to look out for her.

The boy looked at her with a mixture of emotions, then whispered quietly, due to his dry and sore throat, "Don't worry Hermione… you'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

"I have some grave news."

Everyone turned to look at Albus Dumbledore, who's eyes were no longer twinkling their normal twinkle. They were dull, with a hint of sadness and remorse swirling in them.

"Two of the students of Hogwarts have been taken captive this evening during the raid. It seems that the whole raid was to get a hold of one of our students, and they have succeeded in getting what they came for."

Some of the professor's looked at each other with confused glances, but a few of them nodded solemnly.

"Who have they taken?" Professor Ian asked quietly from the right of the group, where he stood a yard away from a rather upset McGonagall.

The Headmaster looked gravely at his hands, "They have taken Severus Snape of the Slytherin House, and Hermione Granger, from the Gryffindor House."

There was a uproar of confusion and bewilderment.

"Why would they take both a Slytherin and a Gryffindor?"

"What's so special about Mrs. Granger and Mr. Snape?"

"I don't understand --"

"Does this have anything to do with their families?"

"I noticed that those two had been on good terms with one anoth--"

"Please, settle down," the wizened man said with a sigh. "We wont understand for a long time. I myself am not too sure why they have taken the students, but we must do our best to get them back. Merlin, bless his soul, only knows what will happen to the children. We must wait to see what happens, and hopefully, we won't be too late to save them."

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher looked Dumbledore squarely in the eyes. He gave the man a small, knowing smile and said, "Only time will tell."

* * *

A/N: So, how did you guys like this long awaited update? Now I want to get something strait here, because I don't want to receive a bunch of reviews from people asking if this is going to be Hermione/Remus or Hermione/Severus. In my summary, it says that this story will eventually be HG/RL. So, it will be Hermione/Remus. But there's going to be a bit of trouble with Severus along the way, okay? If you read my A/N from… a long time ago, it says that Severus will get feelings for Hermione. But it will only be a one-sided love coming from him. Hermione will fully be in love with Remus.

I hope that's settled. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter -- I've deprived myself of sleep because I wrote this… ah, I have work in a few hours. -Scurries off to bed.- Take care, guys! - Min


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

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**Thank you everyone who reviewed for my last chapter! **_(I would put the pennames down right here, but my emails were deleted and I don't want to be bothered by going to look at all my reviews and finding the new ones)_

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A/N: Read the bottom A/N if you're interested in my excuse for the lack of updates. But moving on!

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Seasons Change

By: xScenex

a.k.a. Min

Chapter 18

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A small moan was heard, echoing softly against the damp walls of the small cell. There was a small movement, and then a bit more, before a figure sat up, clutching their head in what seemed to be pain. 

"Hermione?" A male voice called out quietly, almost uncertainly.

"Uh," was the only reply as Hermione gently massaged her temples and pursed her lips.

"Are you…" there was an awkward pause, "okay?"

"In a way," the girl whispered hoarsely. "Where are we?"

"I have no idea."

There was another moment of silence following that statement. "So.. They captured us?"

Hermione removed her hands from her head to glance over at the shadowed figure of Severus, the only other occupant of the cell. Even in the darkness, she could see the faint outline of his body against the stone wall which was softly illuminated by the slit windows near the ceiling. She faintly saw him nodding to her question and she sighed.

"I was stupid," she stated suddenly. "For leading you -- us -- out there like a blind fool. I don't understand why I would do something so thick -- something as stupid as that. The teachers could have handled it -- I know they could have. They had Dumbledore there with them!" Severus didn't say anything as she ranted. Hermione brushed angrily at her eyes that were now welling up with unwanted tears, "Why was I so stupid? Why did I do something as foolish as that? It's something that I would have expected from Harry, or Ron, but me? Oh, what would they say--"

Hermione sobbed at her irrational plan. Truth be told, she didn't understand why she had done something like that. She had always been one to think things through before acting on them. What she did was something she would have expected from one of her fellow classmates -- from the present or the future.

The girl slumped forwards on the floor in a heap, vaguely allowing the image of her dirty, broken, and captured, self lying on the floor of a cell to drift through her mind. She would have laughed at the irony of it all -- she had always had nightmares in the past about Harry being the one in a cell such as that, but instead, the roles were switched.

Before she could succumb to the insane laughter though, she felt a hand gently rest against her shoulder. She looked up through the curtain of brown hair that fell into her face and saw dark eyes staring back at her.

"This is no time for this, Hermione. We need to find a way out of here."

Hermione blinked up at him and nodded slowly before pushing herself up again. She winced in slight pain at the throbbing bruises and cuts that covered her arms and legs. "You're right. But how are we going to get out? I'm pretty sure we've been locked away in a secure cell, and it's obvious that we don't have any wands with us."

"True, but it doesn't hurt to look for a way, is it?" Severus spoke from the darkness beside her.

"I guess you're right once again," she brushed once more at her eyes before straightening up. "I'll check over here to the far right."

"I'll get up in that left hand corner then."

So they moved on, looking and looking throughout the cell for any signs of escape. Sadly, they found no way out -- or for that matter, no way in which they had come in either. She figured they had been brought there by portkey.

"So we're stuck," she muttered, feeling thoroughly exhausted emotionally and physically. She slumped down onto the cold stone floor once more and was soon joined by her companion.

"I wouldn't say stuck. More like, imprisoned."

Hermione could tell he was sneering -- but at what, she had the slightest clue. She wouldn't be surprised if it was at her.

"Sev?" She heard a slight grunt, indicating that he heard her. She took a deep breath, then began speaking again, "I'm sorry about this; all of this, actually. You would be safe in Hogwarts right now if you hadn't followed me. It's my fault that we've been taken to this place to meet Merlin knows what. If I had just let Dumbledore and the others handle things with the Death Eaters, I doubt we'd be here right now, in this cell. I'm so sorry."

She covered her face with her hands, sobbing quietly in the shadows. After a moment, Severus spoke to her.

"Are you finished talking?" He asked, though not unkindly.

Hermione looked up at him and sniffed, "I am."

"Then let me say something now," said the boy as he shifted a bit, "For one, it isn't your fault that I'm here. I chose to follow you on my own free will -- if it wasn't because of you, I would be in a far worse situation, actually. And another thing; even if I were still at Hogwarts, I would have other matters to address that I'm not to keen on dealing with."

The girl blinked at his words, then sniffed loudly. "You're only saying that to make me feel better."

She heard a snort coming from his direction, "Actually, I'm only saying it to keep us both sane." He paused, then added, "And it's the truth. So don't worry too much about that. We have more important matters to deal with."

"Like what? Besides the fact that we're stuck here, that is."

A moment of silence before Severus whispered, "Like the fact that we're not alone anymore."

* * *

"_We wish you a Merry Christmas--!"_

Lily Evans sat Indian style in front of the fake fireplace of her parents house, listening longingly to the singing coming from across the room. She could hear the laughter in the singing, belonging to her Mother, Father, and her dear sister, Petunia, as they all sung along to old Christmas carols playing on the stereo.

It had been a little over six years since she had last participated in those wonderful family moments. Ever since she had been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, nothing between her and her family had been the same.

Not that her parents didn't like her being there.

It was more of the fact that Petunia didn't like her being there. Her sister hated her to the point of exploding -- although, theoretically speaking, she shouldn't. Although it wouldn't surprise her if her sister did just go out with a loud 'boom!' someday.

But Lily didn't wish anything like that upon her sister. In truth, she loved her sister more than she loved almost anything else.

Just because she was a so-called _freak_, her sister had outcast her from the family. It hurt her to even think that her own flesh and blood couldn't accept her the way she was. She felt pity for the older woman.

"_We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year --!"_

The song ended and giggles and light laughter drifted to were the redheaded witch sat, staring into the fake flames inside of the fireplace.

The girl sighed inwardly, wanting to go join her family in the holiday festivities, but she didn't want to cause Petunia to leave. She'd rather give up something then make someone she cared about sacrifice their own fun for her own. She knew that if she tried to have fun with their parents, her sister would up and leave in a huff.

But of course, Lily was a one of a kind girl.

Given that she was a brilliant, top-of-her-class witch, she had many more qualities than most could see.

She was kind, caring, loving, loyal, and above all, selfless.

Most would call her foolish, but she would never think of it like that. She just put others in front of herself.

The girl shifted her weight slightly as her bottom had become rather numb from the long period of sitting in one place. She turned her head away from the fake, orange flames in the hearth to look behind her towards the other three occupants.

She could see, from where she sat, her short, petite mother, her tall, broad father, and her beloved sister all sitting together on the rug in front of the Christmas tree, smiling and laughing away their worries.

It was truly a picture fit for a greeting card. The sparkling evergreen behind them, adorned with silver and red tensile and bulbs with the classic angle on the top, and the large pile of beautifully decorated presents underneath it, all outlined by the large, bay windows behind it where the curtains were pulled back, allowing the reflection of the inside of the room to waver over the glassy surface. The white, billowing snow from outside drifted about behind the glass, obscuring the night sky and surrounding houses.

It nearly made Lily's heart break at the beautiful scene, but instead of feeling sadness for herself, she smiled serenely at her family.

"Merry Christmas, Mom, Dad… Petunia," she whispered quietly, getting up off of the floor and walking quietly out of the room.

She wished the best for everyone that night. Little did she know, a certain teenager in the same house stared after the redheaded figure retreating from the room, feeling the same way as her, but knowing she'd never admit to it.

"_Merry Christmas, Lily…"_

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Potter were sitting happily in the sitting room of their family vacation home, enjoying their late afternoon tea while talking casually about their school years. It wasn't often that the two of them were able to have some quality time together. The moment seemed a perfect time to reflect on their pasts since the boys were still out doing Merlin knew what. 

That is, until they received a certain firecall.

"Harold! Emily!"

Both adults looked over at the fireplace with alarm etched against their features.

"Albus?"

It was never a good thing for Albus Dumbledore to be fire-calling you without a known reason.

"I need you to come to Hogwarts as soon as you can. If you have to, bring the boys. Something has happened to some of the students and we need the Auror's to come. And I believe your son and his friends would like to know about this--"

"Alright Albus, we'll be there as soon as the boys get back. That should be anytime now," Mr. Potter replied in a more professional voice. He stood up quickly, his wife following suit.

"I have set up the floo so that you may come directly into my office. Until then," then with a small, inaudible pop, the face of the Headmaster disappeared.

"Emily, I believe this might be an overnight stay. Go upstairs, Dear, and pack a few things that we might need," the man directed towards his wife, who nodded in agreement before hurrying off.

Only seconds later, the front door was heard opening and the laughter of several teenage boys could be heard echoing throughout the hall.

The four Marauders made their way towards the sitting room hoping to find snacks or some type of edible food sitting about for them to devour. What they were met with, though, was the solemn face of one Harold Potter.

"What's wrong Dad?" James questioned, feeling as if his limbs had turned to lead. His father never looked so serious unless something bad had happened.

"Son, you and your friends go get a few things together -- we're going to Hogwarts. I just got an urgent firecall from Albus, asking for us to go to his office. He also said it would be a good idea to bring you four with us."

The boys' eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, "Did he say what happened?"

"No, but we will find out when we get there. Now hurry up, we're about to leave," interrupted Mrs. Potter as she came back into the sitting room with a small bag in her arms.

The boys complied and hurried upstairs to their rooms.

"Do you think this has something to do with Voldemort?" Sirius asked shakily.

"I don't know, Padfoot," James murmured as he shoved his invisibility cloak into his pocket. "I hope it isn't."

"Maybe someone died," Peter supplied shakily, "In the paper, loads of people have been disappearing or dying. Do you think someone died?"

"No, I don't think so," James replied, tossing a pair of orange socks at Sirius' head by accident. The latter yelped in shock before realizing what his assailant was.

"Bugger," he glared at his friend.

Remus had been silent the whole time. His mind was running a hundred miles per second, thinking up as many possibilities as there were possible, and even then some.

He just didn't like how things seemed to be turning out. Was someone in trouble? Worse by far, could someone they knew be in trouble? Dead? Hurt? It had to be bad news, whatever it was, otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't have sent for them so late in the evening.

He thought about how Hermione was one of the only few remaining students there. He paled dramatically, "What if something happened to Hermione?"

Sirius, although still angry at the girl from the previous affairs, shrugged almost indifferently, but there was a slight stiffen in his form. James looked up worriedly, exchanging almost unnoticeable glances with Peter. They all knew how much Remus cared about the girl.

"I bet she's fine. She knows how to take care of herself," James spoke calmly, trying to lessen the tension that had filled the room.

"I know she can, but still."

James spared Remus a small smile before tossing his bag over his shoulder, "You guys ready?"

"Yeah."

"Uh huh."

"I believe so."

After the affirmative, they all trudged into the sitting area where their parents were waiting patiently.

Mr. Potter stepped towards the fireplace, picking up the floo pot. He motioned for the others to come forward, "Now, just say 'Dumbledore's Office' clearly, alright?" The boys nodded and the older man smiled gently, "In you go."

After a few moments, the Potters and the guest teenagers had arrived piled up in the Headmaster's office. They were greeted with the solemn faces of the professors and Aurors, and the soft, comforting song of the red phoenix that sat perched in the corner.

"Please, take a seat," the wizened Headmaster said while gesturing to six newly transfigured chairs.

The others obliged, sitting down nervously and waiting anxiously for any sign of what had happened.

"I believe it is time I tell you why you all are here," Dumbledore began, mainly direction the statement to the newest arrivals. The others nodded in agreement and the man continued, "As I told you earlier, Harold, something has happened to some of our holiday students. As to why I asked you to bring the boys, it's because I believe they would like to know what happened to their friend, Mrs. Granger."

A sharp intake of breath came from where the werewolf sat, and Sirius let out a defeated sigh. James and the others could tell that he was beginning to feel guilty for all the things he had said before they had left Hogwarts, but he was too stubborn to apologize for anything.

"W-What's happened to her?" Remus whispered, half wishing to know the answer.

With a deep sigh, the Headmaster replied, "It seems that Voldemort had a plan to attack Hogwarts in attempt to capture Mrs. Granger sometime around Christmas when almost no one was at the school. I have a slight idea of why he would do such a thing, but how information would have leaked out is beyond me. As most of you know, Mrs. Granger is in a delicate situation here." There were a few nods around the room, "And I believe that Voldemort is after something that only she possesses." More nods and knowing glances. "And because of that, she has been captured, along with Mr. Snape."

As Dumbledore continued to tell the story of what happened, the Marauders were in deep thought, each thinking of different things.

Remus was shaking because of all of the emotions that ran through his body at once. Anger, confusion, worry. Anger at Hermione for letting herself get captured, and more angry at Voldemort. Confusion as to why things were happening -- what had gotten beyond his knowing? Had Hermione forgot to tell him something? But then again, as she held the facts of the future, it was dangerous for her to go about. Anyone would kill to get the knowledge of what was to come. But most importantly, he was worried for her safety.

Minutes went by and soon, it had been almost an hour that everyone had been gathered into the small, cramped room.

Dumbledore had discussed with the Aurors and professors what they had planned to do about the situation -- which was practically nothing so far.

"I want her here," Remus found himself whispering over and over again. James shot him a curious look, but said nothing otherwise. None of the others had heard him, fortunately.

And truthfully, he really did want her there. He missed her laughter, her smile. He missed the way she'd look at him with that curious, almost thoughtful look, her large eyes knowing and caring. Unknowingly, the werewolf felt tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

He didn't know why he felt as he did. He didn't know where the sudden urge to find her and hold her tightly in his arms was coming from. Had he become attached to her without realizing it?

But somewhere deep down inside of him, he knew. He knew that with him being the creature he was, he had become protective of her. But it didn't make any sense to him. Werewolves only felt that way about the ones they loved… and he didn't love her. Did he?

Shaking his head, the russet haired boy slowly stood up, excusing himself from the group in the office. He walked out the door and down the spiraling staircase and into the long, winding halls of the castle.

He was deep in thought, running his feelings, thoughts, and cravings through his mind. He was scared. He didn't want to know the truth of what he felt for the dark haired girl. He refused to think about it.

The only thing he allowed himself to think about was a way to get her back safe and sound.

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A/N: FINALLY! The next chapter. I KNOW! It's shorter than usual, and not to mention it sucks. But lets just say, after not updating for a LONG time, I've found it harder to write. 

Now, let me explain to you a few things that happened. I know I should have updated, but I had a bit of writers block. I knew what I wanted to write, but I just couldn't get it to come out right. I tried writing this chapter three times -- the first time, it got deleted about halfway through. The second time, I was almost done when I re-read it and didn't like the outcome. This was my third attempt, and I'm still not happy with it, but meh. It's an update, nonetheless. Sorry about the cliffhanger in the beginning, but I just can't force myself to write anymore. I'm sick, and I want to sleep soon, so yeah.

Anywho, hope you like this. I decided to add a bit of Lily's Christmas into it, since she hasn't been in the story much. It's not much, or great for that matter, but it's the best I could do right now.

Oh! And for anyone who's interested, a while back (sometime about a month or two ago) I began a new story. I haven't gotten far on it, it's only 2 chapters long so far, and the first one isn't more than 200 words long, but if you're interested in reading it, please do so. It's called Iron Butterlies, and here's the summary:

**In the end, almost everyone that The-Boy-Who-Lived loved is gone and departed. Harry's becomes desperate to make things right, and in the process of trying to re-do his whole life, he's thrown back in time. Not only is he in a place and time that he vaguely remembered from his childhood, but also, he is now in the body of a muggle man who was supposed to die. So, what's a man to do, when he has an extensive knowledge of the magical world, the future, past, present, and is just supposed to be a normal un-magical muggle? Well, there's only one way to find out!**

And now, I'm off. Thanks for staying tuned with the story -- I know I should have updated. -- Min.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

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A/N: Woot! Another chapter! I can't believe that this is almost at twenty chapters! I didn't think I'd ever get this far -- seriously. It's amazing, really. I guess this story is starting to move forward a bit -- I think. I'm not too sure really. I'm trying to move things along, but I'm having a hard time at doing it. I keep throwing in bits and pieces of the story that are either non-related, or just unneeded. Hm. I think I need to work on my story-telling. Anywho, I'll stop rambling and move on with the story. -- Min.

**Thanks **Duos Gurl1, Evil Cat Hater, WhiteTwitch, Soelle, The Insane Imortal Dragon, Reanne1102, ourlittlesecret7, Parvatti, LunaLovegoss, ViviBlack, and KeLpIeenoch **for the wonderful reviews!**

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Seasons Change

By: xScenex

a.k.a. Min

Chapter 19

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Previously:

_She heard a snort coming from his direction, "Actually, I'm only saying it to keep us both sane." He paused, then added, "And it's the truth. So don't worry too much about that. We have more important matters to deal with."_

"_Like what? Besides the fact that we're stuck here, that is."_

_A moment of silence before Severus whispered, "Like the fact that we're not alone anymore."_

* * *

Hermione stiffened, her eyes darting to every corner of the small cell, but as it was almost completely dark, she couldn't see much further than two feet.

In fear, she scooted towards the only other person she could see and would find some comfort in. Severus was also sitting stiffly, and when Hermione bumped into him, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

The girl wasn't sure what was going on, but it was obvious that Severus knew. She looked up at him to see him staring at the far back corner on their left, and Hermione decided to follow his gaze to catch what she had missed during her earlier inspection. She nearly screamed when she realized that he was right -- they weren't alone anymore.

Two red eyes stared out at them, cold and piercing. Those two eyes had haunted Hermione ever since their first encounter with each other…

"Voldemort…" she whispered, breaking the cold silence that had descended upon them.

"My, my," a cold voice reverberated against the stone, causing both of the others occupants to shudder in fear. "So bold -- so brave and fearless. A mudblood dares to speak my name so casually?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed -- she might be scared, but she wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing.

"Actually, no. If I were doing as you stated, I would call you Tom," she spat venomously, her hands shaking with unwanted adrenaline.

Voldemort hissed angrily, "How dare you say that name!" He stepped forward menacingly, causing the two students to shuffle back. "How is it that you, a mudblood, would know information that less than a few have the _privilege _of knowing?"

Hermione didn't say anything, and instead, she just stood up. She knew that, being wandless, she stood no chance against an angered Voldemort. She felt her heart beating heavily against her ribcage, and the ragged breath of Severus behind her. She took a deep, shaky breath and replied, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

A sneer. She knew that the expression on the Dark Lord's face was one of scorn. "Indeed. You are something. No wonder you've managed to recruit my would-be followers. But too brash in my opinion."

Hermione didn't say anything. She felt a hand rest on her upper left arm, slightly pulling her back from the approaching wizard. Severus had stood up along with her somewhere along the small confrontation. The girl only moved slightly though, even though the boy was beginning to get anxious, tugging on her robe now.

The Dark Lord must have seen the exchange somehow in the dark, and said in a dangerously amused voice, "And Snape. It was such a nice surprise to find that you had tagged along with your mudblood girlfriend."

The Slytherin stayed quiet, not responding to the cold voice that demanded him to reply. The silence only fueled the mans anger. The malice that he held nearly rolled off of him in waves, enveloping the two prisoners. Hermione felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as a cold beads of sweat began to form against her clammy skin. Things weren't looking up for them.

"Answer me," Voldemort hissed, dangerously close.

Hermione knew that Severus was unsure of what to do. It was obvious by the shifting of his weight from foot to foot. The girl bit her bottom lip, "He doesn't have to answer to the likes of you."

Cold, anger fueled laughter rang in her ears. If possible, the cell they stood in only seemed to become darker and more ominous.

"Typical mudblood. I should have expected no less from you. Even so -- there is something about you that intrigues me…" The Gryffindor suppressed a shudder and the Dark Lord continued, "Now what is it that catches my attention so much? You don't seem like any ordinary witch; yet I feel there is something more. Maybe we should take a look into your mind and see?"

Slowly, the man drew out his wand and pointed it towards the witch who stood mere feet away. "_Legilimens!"_

The girl tried feebly to throw up shields to block her mind from the frontal attack, but Voldemort was more skilled in the spell then she was. She felt the spell ripping through her mind, bringing forward memories she wished would have stayed in the back of her thoughts.

She saw a replay of when she had first received her Hogwarts letter, thinking it had been some type of joke. A brief remembrance of the troll in the girls bathroom incident flashed by before the smiling faces of Ron and Harry evaded her mind.

Next was a glimpse of herself standing with her parents at a museum in Rome when she was a child, but that was soon enveloped by various snapshot memories of when she had been at the Department of Mysteries and during the Triwizard Tournament. More and more of her thoughts were ripped forward from her mind. Tears began to leak from the corner of her eyes as she stood rigid and helpless.

It must have only been mere seconds that it had happened, but it felt like an eternity to her. Soon, the second presence in her head disappeared and she felt as if something had been lost to her. Feeling weak and disoriented, the girl attempted to keep her composure.

"Interesting," Voldemort hissed after a moment, amusement and slight confusion evident in his voice. "I never would have expected to find a time traveler in my hands."

Hermione slumped down onto the stone floor, a small sob escaping from her lips. She felt so drained after the legilimency. She didn't want to continue on with the 'meeting'. She wanted to go home -- home to Ron and Harry. After having thrust all of her previous life memories away and having them literally forced upon her made her feel shattered.

"Interesting," he repeated, a sneer once against evident against his face. "And to think that I nearly thought you to be a normal mudblood. But no -- you're more than just that. You can come of great use to me." Laughing callously, he moved forward and gripped the girl by her arms, literally pulling her from the floor. "You will come with me. I believe it is time to hear some of the facts, girl."

"NO! Let her go!

Hermione turned to look at where she assumed Severus was. Her vision was blurry, which made her nearly blind in the dark. "No," she whispered, "Severus, no. Please -- just don't --"

"_Crucio_." Voldemort said lazily and a split second later, the screams of agony pierced through the air.

"SEVERUS!" Hermione yelled and struggled to get out of the Dark Lord's grip, large tears falling down her cheeks. "SEVERUS!"

Voldemort smirked and ended the curse. "Do not tell me what to do. I would have thought that being a Slytherin would have taught you that, Snape."

Smiling cruelly, he tightened his grip on the girl. He whispered another incantation and ropes wound themselves around Severus's body. Voldemort flicked his wand and the boy was roughly pulled upwards. The wizard moved forwards and grabbed Severus with his other hand before aparating them out of the cell.

* * *

The large chamber was practically empty besides the small group of black clad figures that stood in a semi circle a few yards away from a single dais that lay forbiddingly in the center of the room. A small throne sat upon it, empty and cold.

The room was dimly lit by hundreds of candles that floated precariously high above, close to the ceiling. The candlelight cast long shadows of the occupants across the stone walls.

Hushed whispering echoed against the high ceiling. No one was aware of why they had been summoned. All they knew was that their Lord had assembled all of his followers into the meeting room, where things were discussed and people were _crucio_-ed.

At that moment, the door to the right opened and in walked the tall, menacing figure of Voldemort, while behind him trailed two Death Eaters holding two figures captive and silence prevailed.

A few of the other Death Eaters in the crowd craned their necks to get a good look at the prisoners, but didn't get much more than a glimpse of the dark brown hair as they walked by.

After Voldemort had settled down in his chair, he beckoned for the two followers to bring up their hostages. They dragged the people forward and dropped them heavily on the dais before the Dark Lord's feet.

Sneering down at the crumpled figures, the wizard spoke an incantation, "_Imperio_." The figure in front of him stiffened slightly but otherwise, didn't move. Voldemort's sneer widened as he stared down at the figures at his feet. "Now that I know you will tell me the truth, you will answer my questions, Granger."

"Yes," a detached, feminine voice dimly echoed about the room. It was devoid of any emotion, or even life.

Whispering began to snake its way around the gathered crowd, but with a look from the man up on the dais, they all silenced. They all knew better than to disobey.

Idly twirling his wand between his fingers, the evil wizard stared down at the girl, thinking. "As much as I'd like to know, I think we shall get to the most important matters first. You are from twenty years in the future, am I correct?"

"Yes."

Smiling coldy, Voldemort asked, "And how is my ruling, then?"

"You do not rule anything," the girl replied emotionlessly. "You met your downfall in 1981 when your own killing curse was sent back at you. You returned fifteen years later, but hadn't came fully back into power. You were hiding."

Silence was thick as the words sunk in. "My own killing curse? How is that possible?" Hissed Voldemort angrily.

"I don't know."

The Dark Lord's eyes flashed dangerously, "You don't know?"

"No."

"_Crucio!"_

The crumpled girl screamed in agony as he let go of the Imperius curse to unleash his anger upon her. She trembled as the curse ran through her veins, invisibly searing her blood and flesh. After half a minute, the curse was lifted.

She didn't lift her head to stare at her tormenter. Instead she just stared down at her hands, sobbing as the pain continued to linger in her limbs.

Hermione wasn't one to beg for mercy -- not to the likes of Voldemort. Even though she had no more hope, she wouldn't allow herself to die begging at the hem of the filths robes. Closing her eyes tightly, more tears streaming down her face, she wished that she could just go home -- back to her time where she could live with her family and friends.

"_Crucio_!"

Once again, the curse wrapped itself around her and she screamed. Every previous thought was ripped from her mind as pain continuously assaulted her mind. She saw darkness closing in from the corners of her eyes and she knew that she would black out soon. She didn't know how much longer the curse lasted, but eventually, the pain began to recede and she felt herself falling forward onto the dais. Oddly enough, the last thing that ran through her mind before she surrendered herself to unconsciousness was, _I want to see Remus… I.. I need him._

* * *

Remus paced back and forth in the Gryffindor common room, irritation evident on his face. He kicked at the side of the fireplace in anger, causing soot to fly upwards in a dark cloud. The werewolf was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the pain in his foot.

He was confused and angry still. He didn't know what to do. Hermione was out there, somewhere, kidnapped. Merlin only knew what was going on. She might even be dead!

Cursing silently to himself, Remus finally allowed himself to slump down into one of the many overstuffed chairs littering the room.

"What am I going to do?" He asked himself. He knew he couldn't do anything -- he was stuck in Hogwarts, unable to do anything about the girl that he knew deep down inside, he cared about more than just the average friend. More than anything, at the moment, he was scared for Hermione's safety. Remus had always hated the unknown. He pulled at his hair in frustration. "What am I going to do!"

Suddenly, without warning, he felt a dull pain encase his body. It wasn't the kind to cause him to cry out. It was more like a small ache -- but he knew then, that something was wrong. Call it werewolf instincts.

His head snapped up. His heartbeat quickened as he sat still, feeling the pain gradually disappear. But that didn't make him feel any better -- he just knew something was happening to Hermione.

He shivered and felt cold sweat trickling down his neck. He had to find a way to Hermione. He got up, walking towards the portrait hole but froze once more as the pain began to come back. This time, it felt more… _present _then the previous one.

He didn't know what was going on. He'd never experienced pain like that before. He felt his fingers twitching, his heartbeat quickening to a pace he thought to be humanly impossible. Beads of perspiration formed against his forehead. He began to feel lightheaded.

"W-What's going on?" He choked out in what he was surprised to find was a inhuman growl.

His chest began to ache. The boy clawed at his shirt as he fell to his knee's, desperately trying to stop the throbbing that was now constant. He screamed in frustration, and that's when he felt the desperate plea.

It was her. She needed him.

Remus cried out in desperation, his bangs now matted to his forehead. His eyes were closed tightly as he breathed heavily, trying to get himself under control; but it wasn't working.

It was as if the animal inside of him were trying to take control. It wasn't even close to the time that he transformed; yet the animal was alive within him.

"Hermione," he sobbed, "Hermione." He wanted so much to help her. He'd go as far as to die for her. "HERMIONE!"

His eyes snapped open. They were no longer the twinkling blue orbs. Now they were dark, golden amber spheres outlining black, dilated slits. The air around him began to pulse, becoming hot and entrancing.

The air was thick with magic, nearly suffocating the werewolf as he lay there, tearing at his shirt while trying to breath in the much needed air around him, but only receiving the stifling energy that sparked around him.

He was in pain.

But it was a welcoming pain -- he felt as if he needed the pain; as if it were, in itself, _him_.

Suddenly, the pulsing air shone bright with a white, searing hot light. The white was quickly followed by black, but instead of disappearing, the black energy crackled loudly before it exploded with a loud boom.

Windows shattered and furniture was thrown across the room from the explosion. The whole tower shook as the energy unleashed itself, fleeing into the dark sky outside of the castle.

Silence descended.

Through the broken glass and disheveled chairs and tables, Remus could be seen through the rubble.

His chest rose and fell slowly, almost agonizingly. His face was scrunched up in pain, and his shirt stuck to him from sweat.

Moments later, the portrait hole opened, and that's how the professor's found him.

Close to death.

* * *

A/N: Alright. I know -- Bad me. I left it at a cliffy. But I felt as if this was the best place to leave it (for me anyways). Please don't kill me! I will try to update as soon as I can, and truthfully, I'm nearly jumping up and down because I want to update. I'm finally getting this story somewhere.

Anywho. Hope you liked this as much as I did. Now -- if some of the dialog seems confusing, I'm sorry. Just tell me what you didn't get and I'll try to explain it the best I can without giving much away.

And I do want to thank Evil Cat Hater because she inspired me with this part of the story. She looked up some stuff for me, and I really do appreciate that. It helped me with this part of the story. So this chapter is dedicated to you!

Well, I guess that's all for now. Keep a look out for the next chapter -- it should be out in a few days. Take care! -- Min.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

* * *

A/N: Yay! Finally! I have gotten to chapter twenty! Phew. And I'm almost at 300 reviews! I'm really surprised. When I first started to write this fic, I figured it wouldn't have been read much. But over 100 people are reading this! I'm so shocked and happy. Anyways. The story is getting closer to it's end, although it's not completely there yet. Still quite a few chapters to go, but I will say I'll be sad when this ends. Maybe I'll make a sequel, if I think it's humanly possible to do without making it seem so OOC. Also, for any of you who may or may not have noticed, I've chanced the summary of this story a bit to warn you all about the upcoming 'character death'. I won't say who or when, but it's just a fair warning. Well, on with the story! 

**Thanks **ThePranksterQueens, Soelle, Duos Gurl1, Leology, amber belle, The Insane Imortal Dragon, LunaLovegoss, Following Padfoot's Pawprints, Evil Cat Hater, Addicted2Love, Reanne1102, ourlittlesecret7, Hermione32993 , and Hermione Granger Fanatic **for all of the wonderful reviews!**

* * *

Seasons Change

By: xScenex

a.k.a. Min

Chapter 20

**WARNING! CHARACTER DEATH AHEAD!

* * *

**

Blurry.

Everything was blurry.

Hermione tried to sit up, bet gasped in surprise when her body erupted into pain. She saw bursts of white for a moment before she stopped moving, allowing the aching to dull down.

Breathing heavily, Hermione realized she wasn't alone. Everything flooded back to her memory, and she remembered that she was still on the stone dais at the feet of Voldemort.

Grimacing in disgust, she tilted her head up enough so that she was able to catch a glimpse of pale skin against raven black robes. A wand was pointed towards her, obviously having just revived her from her unconscious state.

She closed her eyes tightly before trying to sit up again. The best she could do was hold her upper body up with shaky arms.

"You're weak, Granger. You can't handle a simple _crucio_ without fainting. That's too bad -- I had so much more planned," the cold, scornful voice of Voldemort pierced through the air like ice.

Hermione didn't say anything. She didn't have the energy to retort, so she allowed silence to overtake her. But Voldemort didn't like that.

"Speak, mudblood," he snarled.

A small whimper escaped her lips as she attempted to shake her head without feeling lightheaded. She felt embarrassed by her actions, but she knew she wouldn't be able to hold up her confident act. She truly was scared.

"No?" The hiss was quiet, deadly. She knew it was the wrong thing for her to do. She heard a shuffling ahead and soon, she realized that the dark wizard had stood up. "I think it is time we finish this. I grow tired of your idiocy."

Hermione refused to look at him, causing the Dark Lord to lean down slightly. He sneered, cupping the girl's face in his hands, tilting her face upwards so that he had a good look at her. She glared at him coldly, wanting to move away from him, but once her eyes locked onto his, she felt entranced.

"What is it that you hide? I've found out your secret, but there is something else you hide…" Voldemort inquired with narrowed eyes. "So much that you hold secret…"

"And my secrets are my own," Hermione whispered fiercely, wrenching herself out of his grasp. She suddenly felt filthy from his touch. Her skin burned where he had touched her with his icy hands -- she'd rather be under the cruciatus curse.

He growled, pausing in his moments only long enough for Hermione to blink. Before she knew what was happening, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled hard enough so that she was looking up towards the ceiling.

"I _will _find out what you hide," he snarled at her, bringing his other hand out to slap her across her face.

In all honesty, Hermione was surprised. She'd never have thought that Voldemort would use actual contact to cause another person harm. She had always thought him to be the kind to solve all his problems with magic. So naturally, his actions shocked her.

In her state of surprise, she failed to realize the dark wizard probing her mind with legilimency, and when she finally did notice, it was too late to anything about it. Once again, memories surfaced. Hermione tried desperately to pull the memories back before they were noticed, but the wizard was too quick in his work for her to stop it.

After an agonizingly long time, Voldemort finally pulled forward the memory of when Hermione had sat in his office, listening to the newly found prophecy. Red eyes widened as he saw the recollection.

Finally, he pushed the girl backwards, causing her to tumble backwards on the platform.

"So," he ground out with anger, "so you have been sent here to kill _me_."

Surprised whispering began to gather around the room from the group of Death Eaters. It wasn't a shock when Voldemort lost his temper and shot curses at his followers and forcing them to be quiet -- or as quiet as one can get after having a painful curse cast upon them.

Hermione scrambled to her hands and knees. The pain in her body wasn't as strong as it had previously been, so she was able to move about more.

She glanced around quickly, taking in her full surroundings for the first time. To her left, she saw the crumpled figure of Severus lying on the stone dais as well. He was unconscious. She quickly averted her eyes to keep tears of fear from welling up in her eyes for her friend and decided to look for an escape route. She saw only one exit, although it would be hard to get to it -- nearly impossible. The door was behind the full group of Death Eaters and closed; most likely locked, too.

She breathed in deeply as the cries of the Death Eaters quieted down. Things were about to get nastier.

Voldemort was once again glaring down hatefully at the girl. "I would have liked to keep you to question you, but since the future is destined to be different, I assume that it would be a waste of my time trying to get the information out of you. It would do no good, as you've already allowed information to circulate with that mudblood lover. It is time for you to die," he hissed.

She looked up at him, trying to keep the look of complete panic off of her face, "Killing a teenager who is wandless is below even your standards."

"I'm no fool, mudblood. I will be better off killing you now," he said, raising his wand once more at her. She breathed in sharply as he smiled impenitently, "_Avada Kedavra._"

The green light burst forth from his wand. It headed towards where the girl kneeled. Her eyes widened and her heartbeat sped up.

_This is it, _she realized. _This is the end of everything. I've failed them. I failed them all. _She acknowledged what was to come, closing her eyes before the spell slammed into her body, feeling nothing more than regret for messing up enormously.

But the spell never did hit her; however all hell broke loose from the lower audience as the building seemed to shake in an earthquake like manner. The candles flickered rapidly, threatening to pitch them into complete darkness. The throne on the dais upturned, falling off the back ledge and shattering loudly, the sound echoing off of the high ceiling and walls.

Yells and cries of terror also reverberated around the chamber. Hermione opened her eyes and was surprised to see a dark, black wave of energy forming around her. It reeked of wild, untamed magic.

Wide-eyed, she stared around her. The magic was pulsing, shifting, almost lunging out at the Death Eaters and Voldemort himself.

"What is this?" The dark wizard hissed loudly, taking cautious steps back from the clouded energy.

Hermione's mind was voicing the same question, though with a little more awe. She'd never seen anything so… feral. It was beautiful yet frightening at the same time, but she felt a sense of recognition for the power that wrapped itself around her delicately.

She was scared, but also a bit relaxed as the power caressed her skin softly, but at the same time, it lashed out towards anyone who appeared to be too close to her -- mainly panicking Death Eaters.

"ENOUGH!" Voldemort shouted loudly in anger as he rounded once again on Hermione. "What is this magic?"

She blinked, wondering why he actually expected her to answer him. The confusion must have shown on her face as the man growled once again and shot another _Avada Kedavra _at her.

Hermione watched in complete surprise when the spell was blasted towards her, only to be swallowed whole by the dark shield of power. A dull green glow was the only remaining thing left of the spell before it flickered out, dying from the world.

She was at an advantage against the Dark Lord. She pushed herself up off the ground, her body smarting painfully and her legs quivering dangerously as she placed her weight on them. If she didn't know any better, she would thought she'd been under the jelly-leg hex.

She looked to where Voldemort stood, anger literally rolling off his body in waves. His eyes flashed and Hermione shivered under the intense glare.

"I will not allow a mudblood to get the better of me!"

"Aren't you one yourself?" Hermione clasped her hands against her mouth as the words came out before she thought. She was becoming to reckless.

She thought that the Dark Lord would try to throw curses at her again but was sorely disappointed when he just grinned evilly. She didn't understand why, until he walked casually over towards where a dark figure lay crumpled on the floor.

Dread filled her to the bone when Voldemort casually pointed his wand at Severus' unconscious form.

"Severus!"

Her mind raced. She didn't know what to do. She had no wand, so magic was out of the question. Her eyes filled with tears as her mind urged her to lunge at the man. Her limbs felt heavy, and all she could do was watch.

_Hermione, do something! _Her mind screamed with protests. She couldn't move. Her eyes were glued onto the wand pointed at her friend. _Move, you silly girl! Do something before Voldemort does!_

"No…" she whispered quietly, then repeated the word more forcefully. "NO!"

She felt herself lunge forward, mind whirring as she collided heavily with Voldemort. He let out an angry, surprised yell as she landed on top of him. The energy around her crackled dangerously, attempting to push the unwanted intruder away but to no avail did it succeed within such close quarters.

Voldemort flung his arms out, knocking the girl to the ground once again. Now they were only mere feet apart as the man got to his feet with ease, almost as if he were floating. Red eyes bore into her own mocha orbs. A horrific smile twisted itself onto the Dark Lord's face.

"It's a pity that you wouldn't join us," he said randomly, almost casually.

"It is, isn't it?" She spat back venomously, scooting closer to where her friend lay. Severus stirred slightly but otherwise, didn't move.

The man waved his hand and the candles around them flickered until they went out completely. The Death Eaters still in the room began to whisper in fright; something like this didn't bode well with her. Hermione frantically looked around, hoping for any source of light to give her comfort. She hadn't expected this.

"Lets see how well you can protect yourself against… then _unknown_," Voldemort's voice seemed to come from all sides of her. She gulped quietly.

"This is a dirty trick," she whispered.

Cruel laughter was the only response she received. She tried to reassure herself that he couldn't harm her now because of the mysterious cloud of energy present around her, but she then feared for Severus. Then she realized that if she were to be attacked physically, then she didn't stand a chance. She wouldn't put it past Voldemort now to do something like it.

The whispering from His followers seemed to die down now, and nothing but silence and heavy breathing remained.

Blood pounded in her ears. She was scared. She feared what was going to happen. The energy around her seemed to waver as well as her fear overrode her senses.

Suddenly, a bright, red light erupted from the right. The hex shot towards Hermione, but she ducked towards the right. The spell missed her, but she heard an inaudible shout as it hit someone else -- someone right beside her.

She screamed when she realized it had hit Severus, who was now awake enough to feel the pain.

"Severus!"

He just groaned and she heard shuffling. Her eyes darted everywhere, hoping that Voldemort wouldn't attack her friend.

"Severus, we need to get out of here," she whispered furiously to the boy.

With teeth obviously gritted, the hoarse voice of the boy whispered, "And how do you propose we do that?"

"There's a door over there," she hissed, pushing him lightly in the general direction of where she had seen it before the lights had gone out.

"Why's it so dark?" He muttered. She figured he was still disoriented, which was a bad thing.

"We're in danger, Severus. Voldemort's in here with us, along with his little friends," she said as quietly as possible. "We need to get out of here before something happens to us."

He was silent for a bit, "Fine."

Hermione sighed in relief. Now all they had to do was get out of there unnoticed. She didn't think the dark wizards would be able to see in the dark, so they should be able to leave without too much trouble, right?

Severus stood up next to her and helped her up. She staggered once again, trying to gain steady footing. The two of them slowly began walking, checking the floor before they stepped in case they suddenly fell off the dais. When they finally neared the edge, another curse was thrown at them, but from behind, thus they didn't notice it until it was too late.

"You can't escape," Voldemort said loudly, almost angrily.

The spell missed Hermione but hit Severus squarely in the back. The boy was flung forward in the darkness. Hermione desperately reached out for him, but just as she felt his cloak, he fell out of her grasp. She knew that Voldemort was going after him on purpose.

"Leave him alone!" She screamed almost hysterically. She felt as if she would go crazy.

"What's wrong, Granger? Surely you have no feelings for the boy. What is friendship, anyway? People could never, truly understand another peer."

"You're heartless!" She screamed louder, feeling tears welling up in her eyes again. "You're inhuman! Of course you'd never understand friendship! YOU'RE A MONSTER!"

A loud, piercing cry of anger filled the room, followed by a spell, "_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

The green spell, oddly enough resembling the color of Harry's eyes, Hermione noted, flew towards her. She closed her eyes, wishing desperately that Voldemort would just rot in death. "GO TO HELL, TOM!"

Her fury appeared to fuse with the energy that clouded her body. It pulsed once more, angrily and hot. It whipped around, searing the stone dais. Hermione even felt her robes growing overly heated.

The _Avada Kedavra _that the dark wizard threw her way came closer and close to her. Her eyes closed as it approached. She felt, more than saw, the curse hitting the energy. The two seemed to pause before a huge burst of green light erupted where the two met, sending Hermione tumbling over onto the ground. A sharp, painful searing exploded against her forehead. She screamed in agony.

A similar scream pierced the air. It was inhuman, unearthly, and sent unwanted chills up Hermione's spine. Then another light burst forward, illuminating the whole room. The girl shielded her eyes against the onslaught of brightness and saw vaguely, the figure of Voldemort -- or, what could be left of him. It was as if his skin had melted off, leaving small tendrils of flesh hanging from the bloody bones that made up his skeleton.

It was a gruesome sight. Hermione felt like vomiting, the smell emitting from the figure was almost stifling. She gagged just as the light ended -- but it wasn't the last of what was to happen.

The air began to tremor and the floor began to shake once more that night -- but it was more violent then the first time.

A loud roaring noise filled Hermione's ears and suddenly without warning, the ceiling began to cave in. The witch covered her head with her arms, hoping that nothing would hit her.

Eternity seemed to pass in what was only minutes, until everything settled down and the only sound was the settling of heavy stones against other stones. Debris continued to fall like snow against the ruins of whatever the building had once been.

Hermione sat up slowly, scared of what she would see.

Next to her was a large boulder, having probably narrowly missed her. All around her was slabs of stone, looking dead against the grey, cloud covered sky and snow covered field surrounding.

She sat there for a while, just taking in the scene until something warm and wet trickled down her face. Hermione brushed it away then looked at her hand. Blood. She gingerly fingered her forehead where the bleeding had occurred and felt the pain in her head, right where she remembered Harry's scar being. She blinked, then smiled ruefully at the irony.

Just at that moment, she saw movement up ahead. She squinted, barely making out a short, slumped over figure just falling down on the snow outside of the rubble. She stood up quickly, although dizziness threatened to overtake her. But she wouldn't allow it, as she had to make sure that the figure, Severus, was alright.

* * *

Timidly, Hermione moved to where he lay on the ground. He was sure that she could see the blood splattered against the snow and ice. She'd have to be blind not to. He sensed her hesitation and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. She was scared, he knew. 

The spells that had hit him had been painful, he knew that much. Cutting curses had always been painful for him. He knew he would have lived with that, but after the ceiling caved in on him, he wasn't sure. Ribs felt broken, along with maybe a few vertebrae. His vision was blurry.

Severus tried to lift his head up a bit to see the face of the girl he'd come to love in the past few months -- although how he loved her, he wasn't sure. She'd been his first true friend, his guidance, his light.

It was painful for him to move though, so he just waited until the girl came into view beside him, kneeling down on the ground next to him. She didn't say anything for a long time, and neither did he. He just stared up into her large, chocolate colored eyes.

_Hot as fire, your vacant stare…_

He then allowed a smile of relief to spread across his face. He was so happy that she was there. He knew time was nearing it's end, and he wanted to see her one last time, knowing that she was alive and well.

_My ravaged heart you slowly tear…_

"Hermione, I'm so glad you're alright. I… I was afraid," he whispered hoarsely.

He saw tears well up in the girls eyes before they trickled down her dirty cheeks, "But what about you? You aren't alright."

_You reflect my eyes as blood drips down,_

_The pain and anguish forms around…_

"But Hermione, I am alright," he whispered, reaching out with a shaky, bruised and bloody hand. He gently brushed a strand of hair out of the girls face, hoping to reassure her. It one thing he wasn't sure how to do, but somehow, he felt the best he could do was act on instinct. "I'm alright because you're alright. You've given me what no one else had ever given me before. I'm glad you've given me the hope you did. I only had to return the favor."

"No, Severus, don't -- when you talk like that, it's like you're going t-to die," she sobbed.

"But that's okay, Hermione. It's okay if I do. Because you're going to live," he replied, feeling suddenly unlike himself.

_Shot through the heart, down on the ground,_

_Wind on my face, this constant sound,_

_Deaths' embrace, hold my hand…_

Severus blinked a few times, then coughed painfully. He clutched his chest, trying desperately to get the feeling of cloudiness to leave his body. After the coughing subsided, he rested his flushed face against the cold snow. His eyes drifted upwards to meet Hermione's tear-filled ones. "Don't cry," he said, "It's very unbecoming of you."

She gave a half sob, half laugh. "How you can say things like that in this situation is beyond me…"

_With a stained shirt and tattered sleeves, _

_It's loves disease,_

_Forced upon my time and sand,_

_For the last time, I took your hand…_

Severus gave her another smile, one he knew was full of warmth. He allowed himself to reach out once more, grabbing both of her hands in his. He gave them a light squeeze before he whispered, "Hermione, I want you to get out of here. I want you to go back to Hogwarts -- everything will be fine. He's gone now, you know. You'll be safe."

"I wont go without you!" She cried out, another bout of tears escaping from her. She slowly fell forward until her forehead rested against his shoulder. Her fingers intertwined with his and she whispered to him, "I can't go without you."

Warmth filled his numb limbs. "And why's that, Granger?" He teased, although he was surprised he could do so in his state.

"Because I care for you."

_Clutching onto the memories that brought us here,_

_You traded spots by sorrows choice._

_How sad and tragic it sounds in your voice…_

"But you care about Lupin more," he said quietly, the truth settling between them. That's when Severus knew.

His love for her was one that he'd never felt before. His feelings for her weren't the kind he'd first imagined. He wasn't wanting the love of a girlfriend, or a wife. He was looking for the love of a mother; she had provided him with that.

"But I still care about you!" She sobbed once more, shaking her head against his robe. "I do! I don't want to lose you like I lost Harry or Ron!"

Something foreign bubbled up in Severus's chest. Before he knew it, he was laughing. "You wont lose me, Hermione. I'll always be there. You can't get rid of a Slytherin that easily."

_I'm lost from you,_

_Your endless voice,_

_You saved me once,_

_You saved my life,_

_I'll save yours too,_

_I'll hear your cries,_

_As you take my hand,_

_And watch me die…_

"Severus, I feel so horrible. I've lied to you this whole time, and you're not mad at me?"

"I couldn't be angry, even if I felt like it. Your secrets were your own, not mine. If you want to make up for lying, then get your arse out of here. It's too late for me. Those Death Eaters could come around any time now. Just leave me here. Go find your lover boy and let him know your okay."

_The truths that wear, yet to last,_

_My eyes they close, so soon to cast_

_A fevered glace upon your back…_

Hermione gave a strangled cry before she embraced him in a firm, but at the same time, gentle hug. He did his best to wrap his arms around her, but realized his strength was slowly leaving him. The end was near for him.

He closed his eyes, feeling something prickling at his eyelids. He hadn't cried in years, and he wasn't about to. They only needed one emotional person at the moment.

His eyes opened, glazed and overly bright. He stared beyond her shoulder and at the stars scattered about around the broken clouds. They seemed to reassure him that things would be okay. He sighed in content.

He had all he had ever wanted in his life. A friend, someone he could call family -- and a place he could call home. Hermione was what he had begun to live for. She was his savior -- his _hero._ He knew he had made the right sacrifice.

"Thank you," he whispered into her ear. "Thank you for everything."

He felt the edges of his vision start to blur into grey, then to black. He smiled at the welcoming, numb feeling that began to encase his body. "Thank you…"

And a greater, more magnificent darkness overtook him. He ceased to breathe.

_As I fall, my world goes black,_

_You'll sleep in peace; I'll rest in death,_

_Awake both sins to lasting breath…_

_You'll be forever burned into my mind._

_The love for you as hot as fire,_

_Every tie… the release of death._

_I was so afraid to be afraid;_

_Behind these eyes, a frightened gaze_

_Finds truth in the stars, not forsaken lies,_

_Lasting deliverance, end my cries…_

_

* * *

_

A/N: OKAY! This was so depressing for me to write! I want to cry so badly. Anywho. Those words/lyrics, or whatever they're called, were written by me, for this story part. PLEASE DON'T STEAL THEM FROM ME! Although I doubt anyone would want to, but still. If by any chance, anyone wants to use them, tell me and give me credit, okay? Anywho. Please don't get angry at me for this. It was going to happen eventually in my story, and nothing was going to change it.

Also, in this, there were a few times that I went back to change something, so if the writing is off at some point or the other, try to ignore it because I might of (and most likely did) skip over it by accident.

Well. That's it for now. I'll update again when I have the time. Happy reading!

-- Min.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took a bit longer to get this chapter out. I've been uber busy with work and my social life that I've found hardly any time for myself. But I'm getting by at a steady rate, anyways. At least I didn't take a month to update, right? This chapter isn't very action-packed as the others -- it's just a bit of 'information' needed in the plot, and also a meeting between to people. I don't really like how this chapter turned out, as I'm too tired to really think at the moment, but I hope it's okay enough for you all to enjoy. Well, I've said enough. Enjoy! - Min 

**Thanks **The Insane Imortal Dragon, Duos Gurl1, Shiroi-Tora78, Parvatti, thisDuckIsQuackers, ViviBlack, nelygirl, Just call me Stevie, Hermione Granger Fanatic, Reanne1102, Leology, Soelle, ourlittlesecret7, tallie, Following Padfoot's Pawprints, White Twitch, LunaLovegoss, Evil Cat Hater, Aprila, and Dory12020 **for the wonderfulreviews!**

* * *

Seasons Change

By: Min  
a.k.a. xScenex

Chapter 21

* * *

She was crying. She couldn't help it. After Severus had stopped moving, ceasing to breathe, she broke down. Her tears weren't enough to do justice for the loss she had just received. 

She didn't want Severus to die. It wasn't supposed to happen. _IT JUST WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! _Her mind screamed, _IT'S ALL MY FAULT! MY FAULT!_

She clutched onto the front of the boys robes, "Severus, get up," she whispered, "Get up, please. Don't do this to me! You're not dead.. You can't be dead… no, not now. Not now. IT ISN'T YOUR TIME TO GO!"

She screamed and screamed the same words over again until she was hoarse and her voice only came out as a soft whisper. She couldn't get it out of her mind -- he was dead. Dead to her and to the rest of the world. He wouldn't grow up to be the sinister, robe-billowing professor that she had known. He wouldn't get the chance to have a family and children; not that she knew he had had any.

She hiccupped, letting her eyes scan over the body of her deceased friend. "Oh, Severus," she choked as she saw the content, loving smile placed delicately on his lips. She ran a hand down his face, wondering how he was venturing along his new, great adventure as Dumbledore would most likely say. "I can't believe this… and it's all my fault."

Her hands trailed through his hair, attempting to smooth it down against his head. His face was pale, his lips red. His eyes were now closed and Hermione desperately wanted to think that he was just sleeping. He looked peaceful, she realized.

"I don't want to leave you," she hiccupped, not noticing how her body was numb from the cold, or how her own muscles ached with the pain of exhaustion from both the cruciatus and from all the constant moving she'd done. "It just wouldn't be right."

A sudden, odd sensation ran through her back. It felt as if someone had just wrapped their arms around her, holding her in a firm, reassuring hug.

Her head turned quickly but she saw no one. The feeling lingered. She looked up at the sky then, seeing how the stars twinkled and winked down at her with some hidden secret. Then a shooting star shot across the inky black sky above her head, lighting the whole vast field with it's glow. Then she smiled gently. It was a sign. Eyes now downcast, she sighed "You'll forever be in my heart, Severus."

She lent over and placed a chaste kiss on the boys forehead before giving his hand a tight squeeze. Although he couldn't feel it, she tried to reassure herself with the small, simple gestures.

Hermione stood up, stumbling while trying to keep her balance. Her legs felt unsteady underneath her weight, and her whole body shook at the effort of trying to move.

Her body was numb -- numb in more than one way. Her mind was almost a complete blank now, the shock finally settling in as the fatigue fell over her and the adrenaline leaked away. The cold had encased her body in a deadened way. She hardly felt the biting wind against her exposed skin, anymore.

All she knew was that she had to move -- get out of the area before something else happened. She had no wand, as it had been confiscated during her capture and there was no way she would find it in the wreckage.

She walked through the thick snow and across the field towards the line of trees in the distance at a slow pace, her cloak clinging wetly to her legs. She hadn't a clue of how long she had been walking or how long she would be walking, and she didn't care. Other things occupied her dazed mind.

Severus. Severus, Severus, Severus.

She walked past an extremely twisted, small and bare tree. But instead of seeing the branches and twisted trunk, she saw Severus. Only him, lying there, smiling serenely just before death. He seemed to beckon her onwards. Hermione closed her eyes tightly in her paused walk before opening them again.

It was just a tree; nothing more.

She moved on, wondering where on Earth she was. She could be anywhere, she realized. She might not have been in Britain at all. A pang of fear finally shot through her mind at the thought.

But she wouldn't let that bother her yet. She would move on -- move on for Severus.

'_Hermione, I want you to get out of here. I want you to go back to Hogwarts -- everything will be fine. He's gone now, you know. You'll be safe.'_

The words echoed through her mind, fueling her unfeeling body. She had to go back. She just had to. She needed to tell the others what happened, even if she didn't want to.

* * *

Back at Hogwarts, things were finally calming down. 

After the professors had found Remus lying on the floor in the Gryffindor common room, they had carried him down to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey had been dragged out of her sleep to care for the boy.

Everyone was nervous, anxious, and scared. No one knew what had caused the sudden collapse. All they knew was that they'd heard screams, and suddenly without warning, the whole castle shook. Many windows were played victim in the assault, but no one cared about that at the moment.

All they cared about was the boy lying lifelessly in the white hospital bed.

"His pulse is stable now," the medi-witch proclaimed, scribbling something down on her chart. "His blood pressure seems fine. No broken bones or punctured organs…"

"What happened to him?" Someone asked shakily from the right of the bed. It was James Potter, staring down at his friend with fear. "Is he going to be okay?"

Their other friends looked up with concern, hoping to hear a positive answer. Madam Pomfrey breathed in heavily, "I'm not too sure, children. I can't say that I know what's wrong with him. It's as if his whole body just gave out on him, although everything is working correctly and he's completely stable at the moment." She then shot a very noticeable glance at the Headmaster. "But there's something else."

Albus gave her a questioning glance, as if asking her to continue. But she shook her head, her eyes flashing over to where the Marauders sat. The Headmaster nodded gravely, then cleared his throat, "Ah, Poppy, if you don't mind, could I have a word with you in your office?"

Nodding in acceptance, the two adults stepped from the room.

"Padfoot, do you think Moony's going to be okay?" James asked once again on the verge of tears. He wasn't the only one in the room who's emotions were on the edge of breaking.

Wiping furiously at his eyes, Sirius didn't answer for a moment. "He better be. How could this happen? We're Marauders; we're supposed to stick together -- and we didn't. He better be bloody okay!"

Peter was next to them, wringing worriedly at his hands. He wasn't saying anything, but it was obvious he was anxious. James buried his face in his hands. "I don't want to lose him, Sirius. I don't."

"Don't talk like that," Sirius said gruffly, giving his friend a pat on the back. "Moony's stronger than that. He'll make it through. It's probably nothing to worry about. Maybe he just ran into a wall or something."

His other dark haired friend gave a feeble laugh, "I don't think he's that clumsy."

An awkward, deafening silence followed. No one knew what to do in that situation. All they did was sit there, staring somberly at the werewolf in the bed in front of them; only hoping for the best.

Meanwhile, the Headmaster was having a furious conversation with Poppy.

"How is this possible? By all scientific laws, this can't be!"

"Now, Albus, don't give me that tone. How am I supposed to know? I'm just telling you what the tests told me!"

"But it's just not _possible_," the older wizard stressed the last word, looking pointedly at the woman. "Something like that doesn't just disappear overnight. You should know that."

Madam Pomfrey placed her hands angrily on her hips. "Albus Dumbledure, I assure you that I know more than most about the matter. If you want, _you_ give him the check over and tell me what you find. I doubt then that you'll have any say against what I'm telling you."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Poppy," the Headmaster said exhaustedly. "It just doesn't sound feasible."

"Well, you're not the only one who thinks that. But I can guarantee that that's what showed up on the tests; or rather, didn't show up."

There was a moments silence. "Maybe that's why he's not conscious now. He lost a huge part of himself, if this is correct," he looked at the witch pointedly. "And if you say you are right about this, then I have no choice but to believe it. Not everyone could survive such a thing."

"Indeed," the woman breathed. "But this could be a whole new theory to look in on. We might finally have an answer to what we've been looking f--"

Dumbledore put a hand up to silence her, "We will not have the boy thrown out like that as a test subject. He's human, Poppy. I will not allow such treatment on one of my students; with or without his permission."

The woman rolled her eyes slightly. "Well, yes, I fully agree, but still, there's still so many possibilities of how it happened."

"Yes," he replied, "But we may never find out what happened."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of Madam Pomfrey's office. She beckoned the person to come into the room. Mrs. Lupin stood in the doorway.

"Ah, welcome back Isabel. I hope you've had enough time to gather your bearings?"

The younger woman nodded, her eyes still red-rimmed and puffy. "Yes, thank you. So have you found out anything?"

The two other adults exchanged looks before the Headmaster cleared his throat, "Ah, yes. About that. You might want to sit down while we tell you."

Fear flashed through Isabel's eyes as she sat down, "Is he going to be okay? What's wrong with him? Please, you have to tell me!"

Dumbledore gave her a gentle smile, "It's alright, Isabel. Remus will be fine -- or, he will be once he regains his energy. But there is something rather… odd that Poppy here has found out from her tests on the boy."

The mother looked questionably at both of them, her eyes pleading. The medi-witch cleared her throat and picked up her clipboard again. "When I was analyzing what was wrong with your boy, the tests came out all positive, indicating that he has not suffered from illness or physical harm -- any that we can tell besides the few scratches on his face and chest. Those, though, seemed to have been self-inflicted. It seems that he was maybe suffering from intense pain, but we haven't found an exact source of it.

"Now, when I continued my examination, I realized something rather… odd compared to his usual checkups. I can't be too sure that I'm right, but I'm almost completely positive about this. His results have never… been so positive."

Isabel's hands were gripped tightly on the sides of her chair and her face showed much confusion, "And?"

"And we have reason and evidence to believe that your sons lycanthropy has, erm, disappeared. It doesn't appear on any of the tests I have given him."

Silence. Complete, surprised silence.

"Y-You mean that -- that my son is… is normal now?"

"He was always normal, Isabel," Dumbledore said quietly.

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes, "I know that! What I meant was -- he's no longer a werewolf?"

"He might be," the other woman said with pursed lips. "Don't get your hopes up too much -- it could just be a flaw, although I have taken the tests more than once. We will only know when the full moon comes around."

"But how is this possible?" Isabel whispered to herself. "How?"

"My thoughts exactly," the wizard said almost happily. "It is a mystery to us all. We believe he's just suffering exhaustion at the moment."

"Oh," was her response.

"I believe you should go home, Isabel, and get some overnight things."

"Yes, yes, that would be best, wouldn't it?" The woman stood up, smoothing the front of her skirt off timidly. "Do you really think this… this is possible?"

"There are always possibilities," Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling a bit. "Now off you go. I'll have a guest room set up for you. I'll meet you back here."

She nodded and left, not expecting anything else surprising for the night as she left a thoughtful Headmaster and a anxious medi-witch behind in the small office. Little did she know that there was more to come.

* * *

More than an hour had passed and Hermione was surprised that frostbite hadn't caught up to her yet. She shivered now, though she didn't notice much. But she did notice when she stumbled across a small cabin in the middle of nowhere. Well, _nowhere_ wasn't really what she called it. It was more like a cabin in the middle of the woods. 

It was her only hope, so the girl slowly walked towards it. She wasn't sure what to think, or what she would even expect. A Death Eater might even live there. Voldemort's headquarters hadn't been too far away, by all means.

She walked exhaustedly to the front door, peering into one of the small windows.

There were lights on, although no signs of life were within. The house seemed cozy -- nothing expensive inside, but everything else was obviously cared for and of some value to the person or people living there.

Hermione decided it looked friendly enough and knocked hesitantly on the door. She waited, but nothing happened. She tried turning the doorknob, but it wouldn't turn, indicating that it was locked from the inside. She rubbed at her eyes slowly with a cold, damp hand. She was about to turn away when a bright light caught her eye from inside the house.

Someone was stepping out of the fireplace in the farthest corner away from the door. It was a pretty woman, in Hermione's eyes. She looked motherly and kind, but worry was etched into her face at the moment and the girl vaguely wondered why.

Hermione took a deep breath, hoping she was doing the right thing. She knocked loudly on the door. She heard shuffling from inside and the curtain to the window was pulled roughly back from the glass. She saw the woman staring at her for a moment before the door was unlocked and it opened halfway.

"Oh my!" The woman exclaimed, clasping a hand over her mouth. "What happened to you?"

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She felt tears prickling at her eyes again. She couldn't even talk about it without thinking about Severus. She covered her face and gave a small sob, "He's dead," was all she stated.

"Dead? Who's dead? Oh, you poor dear, please come inside. You look dreadful -- come in, come in."

The girl was ushered inside and ordered to sit down at what she assumed was the kitchen table. Finally feeling warmth after what had been hours, she realized just how horrible she felt. Her skin tingled and ached and her bruises and cuts screamed at her; she didn't care though.

She vaguely heard the woman in the background rummaging around in something, and before she knew it, a small vile of potion was thrust into her hands.

"Take that," the woman said. "It should help warm you up. I'm sorry I have nothing else to help you."

Hermione eyed the potion warily, but after seeing that it was merely a harmless pepperup potion, she downed it. She felt the heat trail through her body quickly and she sighed heavily. "Thanks."

"No problem, dear. Now, what's your name?"

Hermione shot her a small glance before saying quietly, "Hermione."

The kind woman's eyebrows wrinkled in thought for a moment before sudden dawning appeared on her face, "Hermione Granger?"

Wide-eyed, she began to panic. She stood up quickly, knocking over her chair and began backing away from the table unsteadily.

"Wait! I'm not going to hurt you-- I'm here to help!"

"How do I know that?" Hermione's voice quivered.

"Because one, I wouldn't hurt a child," the woman said, walking forward slowly, "and second, my son speaks so highly of you. I'm on Dumbledore's side, and they've been terribly worried about you."

The Gryffindor gave her a questioning stare, "Your son?"

"Oh, yes, where are my manners," the woman said hurriedly, "My name is Isabel Lupin, Remus' mum."

Hermione promptly fainted.

Isabel stared wide-eyed at the girl lying on her floor. She hadn't expected the child to faint. But the girl must have been through a traumatizing state at the moment -- hadn't Dumbledore said she'd been captured by Death Eaters?

Sudden realization hit her and she pulled her wand out, pointing it at the girl who claimed to be Hermione Granger. She inerverated her quickly.

"Dear, we must get you to Hogwarts."

Hermione stared warily at the woman, but it was a halfhearted stare. She nodded and tried to get up on her own, but Isabel insisted that she help. After settling Hermione in a worn - but soft - armchair, Remus' mother wandered off in search for something or another.

Hermione looked around, silently taking in everything. She was in Remus' house. It was comforting and took her strained mind off of other things, although the comfortable warmth didn't help in trying to keep her awake. All she wanted to do was fall into a deep sleep where no pain or nightmares would bother her, and the days events wouldn't haunt her.

But as she was now by herself again, sitting there in silence, her mind began catching up to her. She thought about how Voldemort was gone, and how she just knew the scar had been given to her. But how? Hadn't Harry's mother done something for him to allow him to survive? A sacrifice of some sort? Had Severus been her sacrifice? But he'd died after Voldemort's downfall. Was there another reason? She wasn't sure. She didn't even know. She was a bit glad that she didn't know much about why the killing curse had backfired on her or Harry-- otherwise, Voldemort might have known why when he had asked her.

But having the burden cast upon her scared Hermione. She was frightened at the prospect of being a hero -- at the prospect of having such a life as Harry had. But she knew hers would be different -- and it was all worth it, for allowing Harry a childhood he had never been allowed.

She smiled softly at that. She had done something right, after all. But Severus…

Her eyes began to water again and this time, she couldn't hold back the tears. She sobbed quietly, curling up into a ball on the chair. She buried her face in her hands, wanting everything to just go away. Now she knew how Harry felt when he lost Sirius. She knew now that trying to get past grieving would be harder. She also realized how Harry felt about his death -- how he had claimed it was his fault and she had constantly told him it wasn't. But Severus' death had been her fault. Right?

Minutes must have passed, because by the time Isabel returned to the room, she had a large bag draped over her shoulder. She saw the girl sitting in the chair crying and walked over.

Hermione jumped when a hand rested against her shoulder, but when she saw who it was, she relaxed.

"Let's get going, Hermione. I need to… see Remus."

"Wait," Hermione's brows wrinkled in confusion now. She wiped her face with her drenched robes, only in succeeding by wetting her face with icy water, "What's wrong with Remus? He didn't stay at Hogwarts for Christmas…"

"Oh," the woman's eyes looked sad now. "Oh, well. Something happened -- it's best if you come and see. It will be explained later."

Hermione shakily got to her feet, her heart racing once again that night. _No, _she thought frantically, _no, please, don't let him be hurt. No more, please…_

* * *

A/N: It's a bit short, once again. I really need to start making my chapters longer like they used to be. At the beginning, I'd write 15 to 18 pages for once chapter -- not it's around 8 to 10 pages. I'll work on that.

I hope the metting with Hermione and Mrs. Lupin wasn't too sudden -- I'm afraid I just threw that right in there and it'll ruin the story a bit. But meh. If there's a big problem with it, I'll go back and edit the chapter later.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

* * *

A/N: I have one thing to say about all my readers/reviewers. You guys are simply AMAZING. I have never gotten so much positive feedback before, and I'm overwhelmed by all the praise you give me. I know I'm not a great writer, but I will say I'm decent, and I really do appreciate all of you guys' feedback. It's great. And although quite a few of you don't agree with my killing of Severus, you're still staying by me and reading this story. Thank you! Also, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out. I feel bad for making you all wait so long. It's just that I've been busy, with my birthday, Easter, and my sister's wedding, that I've had almost no time to do anything. Not to mention, Writers Block is creeping up on me. But don't worry - I will write through thick or thin to finish this story. On another note, to Evil Cat Hater: In this chapter is a bit of the information you gave me. It's not much, but I hope to fit the rest of what I have planned in soon. I hope it all fits well - had it all planned out in my mind but when I try to write it, it comes out a bit odd. Anywho, enough rambling. On with the story! - Min

**Thanks **Parvatti, Shiroi-Tora78, The Insane Imortal Dragon, pumpkin.pie.forever, SilverAngel06, Aprila, Following Padfoot's Pawprints, Reanne1102, ourlittlesecret7, JennaB, Holly, Amareth's Shadow, Soelle, Duos Gurl1, KeLpIeenoch, Shinebright-Starlight, LunaLovegoss, Evil Cat Hater, WhiteTwitch, the fires call, Kersies, and Nercia Genisis **for the wonderful reviews!**

* * *

Seasons Change

By: xScenex  
a.k.a. Min

Chapter Twenty-Two

* * *

After a nauseating ride through the floo network, Hermione tumbled out of the fireplace located in The Three Broomsticks. The place was practically empty at this time of night, except for a few drunkards who didn't even look over to them, so she didn't have to worry about anyone questioning them. Isabel followed from the floo shortly afterwards, grabbing a hold of Hermione's forearm before the girl had tumbled over as a wave of dizziness encased her.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Hermione warned the older woman as she lent forward, clutching her stomach and leaning forwards towards the stone floor.

"Oh, you poor dear," Isabel fussed, smoothing Hermione's hair down a bit while rubbing small circles on the center of her back. "Don't worry yourself - we'll get you fixed up soon. Bed rest will definitely do some good."

Hermione only nodded as her stomachs queasiness subsided. She stood up as straight as possible without doubling over and walked with the older woman out of the nearly empty pub.

Walking outside after having been in a nice, warm atmosphere wasn't the most peasant thing, Hermione realized. Not only was she aching still because of her previous adventures in the snow, but it also brought back vivid memories that she had acquired not too long ago.

She shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath as Severus' face plagued her mind.

She was only idly aware of the hand placed on her shoulder, steering her towards the castle she loved and knew. Everything seemed to blur around her; the sounds, smells, and caresses of the wind. All, that is, except for the small things that made her remember…

Not aware of the tears falling down her face again, she walked blindly toward the only place she had left to call home.

* * *

His chest rose and fell with every breath he took. His face was flushed deeply and beads of perspiration clung to his clammy skin. He shook as if cold, although blankets had been piled upon his tired body.

"Hey, I think I saw him mov--"

"No, Padfoot, you didn't - you've said that seven times now. In the past thirty seconds, every time he even breathes, you say something."

There was a long pause before said boy sighed heavily, "I know.."

Silence once again filtered through all arguments in the room. It was late now. The remaining Marauders had kept position next to their friends bed obediently without getting up once. They were truly worried.

The room was quiet now; no one knew what to say anymore. Peter was nodding off a bit, his eyes opening and closing constantly. Sirius stared blankly at his friend as did James. The only noise that could be heard was the light breathing of Remus and the dull sound of walking in the halls outside of the hospital wing doors.

The footsteps, though, seemed hurried and as they got closer, the Marauders realized that there was more than one person walking towards the infirmary.

Looking up expectantly, they figured it would be Dumbledore or one of the other professor's coming back with news. When the door opened, they were slightly disappointed to see Miss Lupin standing there, but suddenly, all three pairs of eyes focused on the second person leaning against the older woman. All jaws dropped as they recognized Hermione.

She was filthy - her clothes stained with blood, dirt, grime, and snow. It looked as if she had been through hell and back; which was practically the truth. Her hair was a tangled mess and her face was pale and tear-streaked. She trembled as she tried to hold her weight up, and shivered because of the cold.

"H-Hermione?" Sirius stuttered, not really believing his eyes. She was safe?

The girl set dull eyes on the boy, and for the first time, he realized just how much she must have had to go through all her life. She must have seen so much in such a short life-time, and he'd blamed her for things she probably didn't know about. Guilt settled into the pit of his stomach but he knew there was nothing he could do to amend for the things he'd said and thought.

"'lo," was all the hazel-eyed girl could say through her hoarse voice. He saw her eyes flicker about unfocused for a moment before they landed on the form of Remus. Her eyes widened and she stumbled forward quickly, nearly falling in the process. Isabel tried to grab hold of her but she moved too fast for the older woman, who nodded to James before hurrying out of the room. James stood up quickly, trying to aid her into sitting down, but she wrenched herself out of his grip, much to his confusion - that is, until he saw her destination.

"Remus," she croaked, at it was obvious she was devastated. Tears began to leak down her pale face. "Remus, wake up."

Sirius felt tears well up in his own eyes at the sheer emotion in her voice. She really did care, didn't she? It was obvious by the way she shook him, begging him to wake up, and slumped forward and sobbed against his chest when he didn't respond. Maybe she truly was in love with him.

Sirius sighed in a defeated way and rested a hand gently on Hermione's shoulder. "It'll be okay," he told her softly.

She just shuddered and gave a half sob before throwing herself away from Remus and into Sirius' arms. He was a bit shocked, but decided it was only because she was filled with anguish. To be honest, at the moment, he also wished he could just have someone hold onto him while he allowed his emotions to go.

"What's wrong with him?" she whimpered, "Please, tell me he'll be okay? Please! I can't lose someone else… I just can't!"

Sirius' throat was tight now because of the lump that had formed inside of it. He didn't know what to say. She sounded so pained - and he couldn't tell her that he didn't know what would happen to Remus. He wished he could tell her he'd be fine; but he honestly didn't know the true answer to that.

He held onto her awkwardly. This was Remus' girl - or, would-be-girl, as he'd already set eyes on her. It just didn't feel right holding onto her like that, but she was so pained by something. Then it hit him. She had been captured by Death Eaters, hadn't she? With Snape?

Hum. By the way… where was Snape?

"Hermione, shh, it'll be alright. You need to lie down," he told her and guided her towards one of the beds next to Remus'. He decided it would be best not to question her about Snape's whereabouts at the moment.

She sniffled and curled up on the sheets, holding her knee's to her chest. She shivered violently, but Sirius wasn't sure if it was because she was cold or because she was scared. She stared blankly at the bed that contained Remus and he felt awkward, not sure if she was aware of his presence or not.

About that time, he noticed that more people had come into the room. He hadn't heard anyone enter, but when he turned around, he saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick coming into the Hospital wing.

Their gazes rested on the girl next to him and all but Dumbledore rushed forward. Sirius was pushed away from the bed, and it seemed like chaos. All tried talking at once, and all questions were jumbled up. Sirius was afraid that Hermione would be scared into shock if they kept it up.

"Hey!" he shouted, "Give her some ROOM!"

Silence ascended around the adults and they had the decency to look sheepish.

"Alas, Mr. Black is right," Dumbledore said quietly. And I believe that we should let her rest."

They stepped back from her just as Poppy entered the room.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed, "Mrs. Granger! H-How is it possibl--"

"Poppy, we'll leave the questioning for later," the Headmaster said. "For now, just attend to her wounds." Nodding, the nurse set to work and pulled the curtains around the bed.

It was going to be a long night, Sirius realized as he sat back down.

A long night.

* * *

_A roaring sound echoed in his ears. He couldn't move - he felt like he was suffocating. He tried desperately to breath in the air around him, but to no avail. He struggled against imaginary binds that held him down. He wanted lose._

_The air around him was hot and stifling. He felt as if he were burning up - he wanted to scream in pure agony but his voice had deserted him. The atmosphere around him felt eerie - like in one of those dreams where everything just seems so… wrong._

_What was going on? Where was he?_

_Suddenly, a bright light shone overhead, blinding him. He closed his eyes tightly, but the light filtered through his eyelids still, leaving him no shelter from the luminosity._

_But the light disappeared as soon as it came and once again, pitch black darkness surrounded him. It was all disorienting to his mind. He tried to look about but his muscles were weak. He couldn't move his head, or lift a limb. _

_He heard a noise - it was a light rustling sound, like something moving along through tall grass. He searched with his eyes, trying to pinpoint any movement. Then he caught sight of two, yellow eyes a few yards away._

_He recognized the shape of the eyes. They were wolf eyes._

_He felt scared, oddly enough, as the creature moved towards him. He once again tried to move but it was a futile attempt. Why couldn't he move? Why couldn't he do anything?_

'_**If a wolf sees a man before the man sees the wolf, the man will lose his voice.'**_

_He blinked again. Where did the voice come from? Dread filled his stomach as the creature moved closer, now only about two feet away. It stared at him, unblinking, and he tried to do the same._

_Suddenly, the light was back, but this time, it wasn't so blinding. It shone brightly, though, causing him to wince a bit. The wolf in front of him was now viewable. _

_The creature was marvelous; tall, strong, and muscular. Long silver fur shifted in it's slight movements. Golden eyes penetrated his, searching through his soul as if to find any flaws. It shifted his head upwards a bit, and he had to blink a few times as the body of the wolf seemed to blur into three other images, all transparent. But as quickly as it happened, it disappeared and the wolf was one again._

_It had to be his imagination, he thought. It was just too odd to be real. The body of the wolf shifted once again into three - it was like one of those muggle sci-fi movies. _

_He felt uneasy as the wolf stared at him. Why wouldn't it look away?_

'_**If a wolf while eating looks away from its food, it forgets what it is eating and goes to look for something else.'**_

_His heart skipped a beat. That voice again. _

'_What are you?' He found his thoughts echoing loudly around him._

'_**I am an omen,' **the voice responded._

'_An omen?'_

'_**I was brought here by a prophecy,' **it announced._

_He was silent for a moment. 'Why am I here?'_

'_**Because of her.'**_

'_Her?' he questioned, confusion laced against his words. Who was "her?"_

'_**The she-wolf.' **the voice responded lightly, half-hidden amusement evident._

_He was confused. The she-wolf? What was the voice talking about?_

'_**Only her,' **it continued. **'She cared for you, as you cared for her. Because of that love you hold between each other, you have sacrificed a part of yourself.'**_

'_Sacrificed…?'_

'_**Yes, sacrificed.'**_

'_I don't understand,' he whispered in his mind. 'What did I sacrifice?'_

'_**Me…'**_

_Suddenly, the wolf beside him flickered as if it were a mere hologram until without warning, it disappeared and a fierce, cold wind whipped about the area, stinging his exposed skin. He found himself screaming at the pain…._

_

* * *

"REMUS!"_

"MOONY! Wake up! WAKE UP!"

He screamed and screamed, the feeling of burning etched into his skin. It wouldn't go away - it felt so real. He vaguely realized someone was shaking him and it didn't help how he felt.

"It hurts," he groaned, clawing at the exposed skin on his arms, "It hurts!"

"Moony, please, open your eyes."

He obliged, only hoping to make the pain go away. To his relief, as soon as he set view on his friends the pain drifted away slowly, leaving the mingling feeling of imaginary burning to his flesh. When his eyesight focused fully, he blinked a few times and stared.

He could see the tear-stained faces of the other Marauders, all staring at him in relief, concern, and confusion.

"Remus, you're alright," James managed to choke.

Remus smiled weakly at him, wondering the same thing about himself, "What happened? I feel so… odd."

And indeed, he did. Something was different about himself. He felt… lighter, somehow, as if his very soul had bee changed. Although, he couldn't shake the eerie feeling off his shoulders from that dream, he felt as if he were a new person. Actually, what had that dream been? It felt so surreal.

"We found you in the common room unconscious. To be honest, mate, we thought you weren't going to make it," Sirius whispered and walked forward, giving his friend a manly hug which Remus returned awkwardly while everything flooded back into his mind.

He remembered what happened before he blacked out. The feelings he had, the high emotions, and the desire to help Hermione.

Hermione…

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, hoping to Merlin she was alright.

"Has there been any news on Hermione?" he whispered.

The others tensed. James looked uneasy and glanced behind Remus before he spoke, "Actually… they found her - or, she found your mum…"

Remus' eyebrows wrinkled in confusion and sheer bewilderment. "My mum?"

"Yeah," he said, scratching the back of his head while wiping his eyes with the back of his other hand. "She sort of stumbled across your house, from what your mum told us. She came in here about two hours ago… she's asleep now."

Remus whirled around, looking desperately for Hermione. All the beds were empty, he saw, except for one which had it's curtains pulled around it, hiding the occupant from view.

He pulled away from Sirius' grip and scrambled off the bed against the many protests from his friends. He felt very unsteady as he tried to walk towards the bed that was only a yard away. When he made it to the bed, he pulled the curtains clumsily to the side and almost fell over in the process. He felt a hand on either side of him pulling him up by the arms and noted vaguely that Sirius and James were supporting his weight.

He didn't pay too much attention though, as his eyes were set on the girl on the bed.

She looked a right mess, she did. Her face was still tear-stained and pale, her lips dark red against her face. Her had bruises on her arms and neck, and a few cuts here and there, while a long, jagged scar ran down her forehead. Her breathing seemed a bit weak and her body shivered.

Remus breathed in deeply and fell to his knees. He reached out with a trembling hand and brushed a strand of hair out of Hermione's face and took her hand with his other. He gently rubbed circles on the back of her hand and pulled it towards his face. He felt so many emotions then - love, guilt, hatred, desire… He kissed her fingertips and felt silent tears sliding down his face. He didn't know what to do anymore, except for one thing.

He wanted to love her.

"Oh, Hermione, what happened to you?"

* * *

A/N: Another short chapter, but it's the best I can do at the moment. I've been trying to update all my stories, but I know I wont be able to get them all updated tonight. WATC is just going to have to wait. Anywho. Hope you guys like this. Not much going on, really. I'll try to update this again in a few days but I don't guarantee anything. Anyways, I've said enough. Take care guys, and thanks for reading. - Min 


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

* * *

A/N: 'Kay, I might as well say that there's romance ahead. Hooray? I'm not too sure I like how the scene turned out, but I'll let it pass this time. I'm too tired to actually think accurately. Not much to say, except the end of the story is closing in. I'm not quite sure how many more chapters there will be, but this story's almost over. On a brighter note, I've started another story - time-travel, of course, but it's going to circle around Hermione/James relationship. I don't know if I want to continue it, as I have two other stories to finish after this one, and also, I'm not a huge fan of JP/HG stories. I guess it's mainly because I've never read many of them, but I wanted to try and give it a shot with writing. I'm trying to test out different shippings. Anywho.. Yeah, that's about all. If you want to read the first chapter of my other (new) story, it's called Hands are Meant to Hold, and you can find it on my list of stories. Anyways. Enjoy this chapter, hopefully. - Min 

**Thanks **Caligirl-HPLVR, Parvatti, Shiroi-Tora78, The Insane Imortal Dragon, Reanne1102, CrymsonTear, Nercia Genisis, AlexandraKathleen, ilovelobsters, KeLpIeenoch, pickles are cool acorns are not, Hermione32993, Soelle, LunaLovegoss , vikkicorey, and LoveForRupertGrint **for the wonderful reviews!**

* * *

Seasons Change

By: xScenex

a.k.a. Min

Chapter Twenty-Three

* * *

"Oh, Hermione, what happened to you?" Remus whispered so quietly that he wasn't sure if he spoke the words aloud. 

The girl's hand felt so cold against his own warm one. He held her palm against his flushed face, feeling her smooth skin against his. He prayed that she would be okay.

"Moony..?"

"Mm?" He responded, unsure if his voice would work correcting if he spoke again.

"She'll be okay, you know," Sirius told him quietly, sounding unsure of how to phrase the sentence.

Remus closed his eyes tightly, wanting nothing more than to know those words were true.

"Padfoot's right," James added after a moment. "She'll be fine. Just let her rest."

For the first time, Peter spoke up, "I agree with Prongs."

The russet-haired boy nodded slightly and shifted on his knee's so that he was more comfortable. His eyes locked onto the pale face of the girl he loved. Her eyelids were fluttering a bit in her slumber, and perspiration was beginning to form on her forehead.

He continued to watch her, minutes passing by. Her sleep seemed to get more fitful - she shifted a bit and mumbled something inaudible to any of them. Remus once more started to rub small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, trying to sent any form of comfort to her while she slept.

"Moony, I think you need to rest," his friends told him at the same time.

"I don't want to," he replied simply. "Not until I know she's fine."

"Look at her - she's fine, Remus."

"That doesn't mean she's fine, James," the other boy replied, "She was captured by Death Eaters. Would you be fine if you had?"

Silence swept between the two dark haired boys and Peter nervously ran a hand through his thin hair. None of them said a word and instead, they situated themselves on either side of Remus. Sirius sighed and wiped his face off with one hand, trying to get sleep out of his eyes. "This'll be one long night."

"But it will be worth it, in the end," James intoned gently, resting a hand on Remus' shoulder.

He looked at his friends gratefully, feeling love and warmth fill his heart as he stared at all three of them. No one could ask for better friends.

"Thank you, guys," Remus smiled a bit before turning back to watch Hermione.

"Don't thank us," Sirius mumbled quietly, "What are friends for?"

James grinned next to him, "Prank wars?"

Sirius laughed halfheartedly, "Yeah. Prank wars."

* * *

Hermione felt herself slowly drifting into consciousness. Her body ached everywhere and her head pounded painfully. She bit back a groan. Gods, she hurt. 

She was about to open her eyes when she felt someone touch her hand. It was a gentle touch, and if she didn't know any better, she would have thought someone had been holding her hand and had just shifted. She knew she was safe - she was at Hogwarts, she remembered. But who would be holding her hand?

She wished painfully that Severus was there with her, but knew that that wouldn't happen. Severus was gone - gone to a place where he would be better off. But even though she knew that, the thought of her friend being gone hurt her deeply. She whimpered softly despite trying to stay quiet and felt a hand rest gently against her face and another gently squeezing her hand.

She opened her eyes slowly, her vision a bit blurry but almost immediately, she recognized the amber eyes staring down at her - she had seen them hundreds of times in her past while in Defense Against the Dark Arts class in her third year, and at Grimmauld Place. But she had to be dreaming, right? Remus had blue eyes… come to think of it, none of it seemed to make any sense.

"Remus?" she croaked softly, hoping that it truly was him and she wasn't being delirious.

"Yes, Hermione, it's me," his voice was soft, caring and full of compassion. It confused Hermione, but it was a welcoming sound to her ears.

She smiled a bit, "Good. How are you feeling?" She wanted to make sure he was okay.

"I'm feeling fine, although I should ask you the same thing," he responded.

Hermione didn't reply. She looked away from him and stared at the wall beside her bed. She thought about Severus once more. He was dead, she knew that, but would she ever be able to accept that fact? She would have once thought that the death of him wouldn't be such a big deal - but she'd grown up since then, and had come to know the boy who would be the Potions professor in the future. She blamed herself for his death. If it hadn't been for her, he'd be there, alongside her resting in the hospital wing.

"Hermione?"

She turned back around and stared solemnly at Remus. He looked so sad, sitting on the floor next to her bed, holding her hand. His eyes shone brightly with unshed tears in the dim light from a few lit torches in the room. His hair hung messily around his face, unkempt and slightly tangled.

Behind him, on a couple of the hospital beds lay his friends, fast asleep under the blankets, unaware of the other two awake in the room.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered quietly. "I'm just… upset."

"I understand," he replied softly, looking down. "I just wish there was something I could do to help you…"

Hermione felt herself smile at that, "You don't have to. Just being here for me when I woke up was enough."

He shook his head, "No it wasn't."

Hermione sat up slowly regardless of how her back ached. "It was. Please don't argue with me," she told him. She saw his face become slightly red and felt bad. "I've just had… had a h-hard time, and I'm still trying to handle things…"

The boy looked up, his eyes questioning but he didn't say anything. Hermione didn't want to repeat everything she'd seen while she had been captured, but she decided the least she could do was tell him about Severus.

"H-He's dead," was all she provided at the moment and looked down at the blanket covering her legs.

Remus' eyes softened considerably in understanding and he squeezed her hand again. He didn't say anything, allowing her to bring her emotions down a bit which she was grateful for. He always knew how to handle things.

After a long moment of silence, Hermione spoke again. "I killed him," she whispered, tears once again streaming down her face. "I watched him die and it was all because of me-"

She didn't get to finish the sentence. Remus cut her off with a single, almost harsh word, "Enough."

She felt her throat become tight. She didn't know how to take Remus saying words so severely. It was almost as if she'd been slapped. She sobbed quietly and pulled her hand away from his and covered her face up with both of her palms.

She sat like that for a few minutes until she heard shuffling beside her and the bed sunk a bit from the weight of someone sitting down next to her. Moments later, she felt hands rest against her wrists, gently tugging her hands away from her face.

Her hair fell in place of where her hands were and she refused to look up.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so angry - I just can't stand hearing you talk like that about yourself. I highly doubt anything was your fault." His voice was so soft and sincere.

"But it was my fault. He followed me because I was stupid enough to go out there and because of that, he died!" she whispered. "It was my fault…"

Fingers gently pulled her hair away from her face and behind her shoulders while another hand cupped under her chin and lifted her face upwards so that she found herself staring into the milky amber eyes of the boy comforting her. "Don't ever blame yourself for that. He followed you because he wanted to. I know I would have followed you if I had been in his position. He cared about you, just as I do, and would do anything to help you. He probably knew what would happen - he knew the risks. It wasn't your fault, okay? Hermione, it wasn't. Believe me."

The girl couldn't move. She wanted desperately to plea guilty, telling him it was her fault, but somehow, his words soothed her soul. His words echoed in her mind, and she found herself almost believing them. Almost.

"Do you believe me?" he asked her calmly, shifting his gaze slightly.

She hesitated for a moment. What did she believe? What was the truth and what wasn't? She didn't know. "I.. I don't know what to believe."

His eyes locked onto hers again and he said sternly, "No, there is something you believe. What is it that you believe?"

She was about to answer with 'that I killed him' but stopped suddenly. That feeling again - the one of comfort as if someone were hugging her - swept over her. It was light, but reassuring, as if telling her that she wasn't at fault. Tears prickled in her eyes and she tried to blink them away.

Seconds passed agonizingly slow for her. She wanted Remus to stop staring at her so piercingly, but knew he wouldn't look away without an answer. But also, she found herself wanting to stare into his eyes forever. It was odd - she was full of so many emotions and couldn't sort one out from the other.

She took a deep, shaky breath. She once again looked away, tearing her gaze away from Remus' and closing her eyes. She bit down on her bottom lip before answering with the answer she truly felt was right, "I believe you're right."

There was silence for a moment, and Hermione thought that she might have answered wrongin his opinion when all of a sudden, she felt something soft press against her lips. She was shocked by the sudden contact, unaware and confused.

Her eyes snapped open and she realized that Remus had definitely moved closer to her, and in fact, was kissing her.

Kissing her…

It was awkward - but only because of how the logic fit. Something inside of her kept shouting that it wasn't right, but her heart and body told her it was completely reasonable. She found herself liking the soft, gently way his lips pressed against hers.

After a moment that lasted too short for Hermione's liking, he pulled back, looking hesitant.

"I'm s-sorry," he began, but Hermione cut him off.

She wasn't sure what to do really, as she'd never kissed a guy before. Although she'd been around Victor, she'd never kissed him, except for a kiss on the cheek here or there. The same with her friends - Harry and Ron. But never had she been kissed on the lips like that. It was a whole new sensation.

Hermione looked up at him, feeling her face redden slightly, as his was beginning to flush deeply. Her own stomach was beginning to feel fluttery as butterflies began to take form.

"Don't be sorry," she whispered and forced herself to be daring. She was a Gryffindor, after all.

This time, she moved forward, slowly and nervously before pressing her lips against his own. Her eyes slowly slid shut and she snaked her arms up over his shoulders and around his neck. She felt his own hands moved to her sides, gently and just as hesitantly as she felt.

Hermione didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but in the end, they parted for breath but never lost eye contact.

"Hermione…?"

"Hm?" She answered quietly, looking curiously at him.

He was silent for another moment before he wrapped his arms around her firmly, pulling her close to his body. She liked how his body felt against hers, but she tried to push those thoughts out of her mind for the time being.

She felt warm breath on her ear and shivered slightly when he whispered, "I think I'm in love with you."

She felt butterflies form in her stomach again. No one had ever told her that they loved her they way he said it. There was another minutes silence as she let the words soak in.

He loved her.

"I think I love you too," she said, more to herself than to him, as she finally realized just how much she cared for the boy.

She smiled and knew that he was doing the same. The girl unwound her arms from around his neck and instead, maneuvered them so that they were wrapped around his waist and then rested her head against his shoulder.

Her eyes slowly began to droop and she felt the exaustion once again take over her body.

Soon, she fell asleep in Remus' arms, feeling happier than she had previously after coming back to the castle. Maybe things weren't so bad, in spite of everything.

* * *

"Aw, would you look at them?" 

"Moony's finally moving forward, I reckon."

"Yeah, he's all grown up now."

"It seems just like yesterday-"

Remus was awakened by the voices that he recognized instantly as his friends. His eyes snapped open and he saw them all standing over him, grinning broadly. At first, he didn't understand why, then he realized that he was holding onto something - or, as he soon realized, someone.

Hermione lay curled up next to him, face buried against his chest. Remus flushed a bit, but felt his heart fill with love as he set eyes on the girl in his arms.

"So, when did this happen?"

Remus glanced up at James who was grinning broadly. He blushed a bit more but mumbled, "Last night."

Sirius howled jokingly, causing the others to send him odd looks concerning his sanity in which he found, for some reason,funny and was soon rolling around on the floor in hysterics. Remus figured he hadn't gotten as much beauty sleep as he usually needed.

He was distracted, however, when Hermione began to wake up. He watched as she opened her eyes, looking confused for a good half a minute before recognition flooded into her eyes. She blushed lightly and stared up at him with large eyes.

"'Morning," he told her, smiling lightly.

She smiled back shyly and greeted him. Her eyes darted around at the grinning faces of Peter and James and then she shot a wondering glance at Sirius who had somehow managed to prop himself up against the bed besides theirs, despite his constant giggling.

"I think he fell of his bed this morning," James supplied solemnly. "Probably knocked his head a little too hard."

Remus cracked a smile, as did Hermione. The boy looked at her, noting that she looked a bit better than the night before.

"So, how are you feeling?"

The girl shrugged a bit and yawned, trying to stretch out in his arms. He reluctantly let go of her and sat up, running his hands over his face in attempt to wake up a bit more.

"Well, Moony. I think we'll leave you be for a while," James winked at his friend, "We're going down to breakfast. Do you want us to bring you anything?"

He shook his head then looked over at Hermione who was still sprawled out on the bed, eyes half shut. "Do you want anything, Hermione?"

She shook her head slowly, then rolled over on her side, curling up into a ball. With another yawn, she closed her eyes fully. Remus smiled fondly at her, hardly noticing that James and Peter had grabbed Sirius and literally dragged him from the hospital wing despite his whines and protests.

After there had been a pause in the silence, Hermione spoke, "Remus? About last night… did it mean anything to you?"

He was a bit shocked to hear her say that, "Of course it meant something to me. I mean - did it mean anything to you?"

"Yes, it did. I just wanted to make sure," she mumbled.

Remus sighed in relief. "Hermione, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, you can." She opened her eyes again and locked gazes with him.

He took in a deep breath. He was using all the courage he could summon now, so that he could tell her what he wanted to. "Hermione, we've only known each other for a few months, and I know it must be awkward for you that I like you - seeing that I taught you in the future. But, I truly love you. I wasn't sure what I felt for sure until last night, but now I know. And I was, well, hoping that…."

"That what?" The girl sat up slowly, her brown curls falling around her shoulders.

"That… well, wouldyoubemygirlfriend?"

She blinked, "Sorry?"

Blushing, he repeated himself, this time speaking slower, "Would you be my girlfriend?"

He bit down on his bottom lip, hoping he wasn't wasting his time in asking her out. She hadn't said anything yet, and was just staring at him with a surprised look on her face.

Second by second continued to pass… he was about to take her silence as a no, when he found himself suddenly launched at. She jumped into his arms and just as he wrapped his arms around her, she exclaimed, "I'd love to!"

He smiled just as she kissed him.

That was the best thing he'd ever heard in his life.

* * *

A/N: Yay! Chappy done… so what'dya think? Borning? Horrible? What? I've never written a scene like that before, so I'm quite unsure about it. I didn't like it that much, but every time I tried to re-write it, it came out worse each time. Funny how that works. Anywho, yeah. I'm off to do some other things before I go to bed. Thanks for reading! - Min 


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

* * *

A/N: Wow. Twenty-Four chapters already and this story is **FINISHED! Can you believe it! **_I_ can't believe I've written something this long. I'm equally shocked that I _finished_ it! - it's actually a great feat for me, as I'm usually quite lazy and I have very little potential in finishing anything. ANYTHING. I'd like to apologize for the long wait, and the shortness of this last chapter, but I thought it was a good length in the end. I wont make excuses, as in truth, I was lazy and was too stubborn for my own good to try and get passed the writers block that was holding be back a bit, thus the delay in the chapter. Please forgive me. Plus! There will be an EPILOGUE to this story up soon. Anywho. I've joined writing forces with a friend of mine in real life. Her penname here is Rubber Ducky Loser, and we've already started a story on her account. She writes the plot, rough draft, and storyline, while I write the actual story and fix it up a bit. If you want to read it, go to her profile, or type in Preternatural for the story title and you should find it. Or, just go to my profile and I have the link in there at the end. If you're interested in alternate universe fics, you'd like this, I guarantee. Here's a summary for it: 

_**Harry Potter is sent into a world where he, literally, takes the roll of Neville Longbottom. He has his parents, although they reside in St. Mungo's, lives with Sirius, and is supposedly a klutz. How will Harry cope with this change of events? And what is this about something called Gaia's mirror? And the Tartarus'? How does Draco Malfoy fit into all this? … Is that the Bermuda Triangle? AU, Seventh Year, Adventure/Angst setting. Possible slash, but not likely, and if so, it will be pretty much nonexistent. **_

Anyways, yeah. Enough said at the moment. Happy Reading! - Min

**Thanks **Reanne1102, Kaydeek, CrymsonTear, The Insane Imortal Dragon, Holly, ourlittlesecret7, WhiteTwitch, KeLpIeenoch, Nercia Genisis, ilovelobsters, LunaLovegoss, Soelle, LoveForRupertGrint, JerseyPike, lianghwei, Dark-Compassion, witch, Following Padfoot's Pawprints, Rubber Ducky Loser, Serpent91, Evil Cat Hater, longtimefan-firsttimewriter, and Lauren.M.Black **for all the wonderful reviews!**

* * *

Seasons Change

By: xScenex

a.k.a. Min

Chapter Twenty-Four

* * *

Just as Hermione pulled away from Remus, efficiently ending the hug, the hospital wing doors opened, revealing a very solemn Dumbledore, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, and Remus' mother, whom promptly ran to Remus and hugged him tightly, mumbling something about the Headmaster not informing her that her son had awoken. 

"Ah, Miss Granger, Mr. Lupin. I see you both are awake, " Dumbledore greeted lightly.

"Hello, Headmaster," Hermione said equally lightly. She wasn't looking forward to telling Dumbledore the details of what had happened the day before.

"Good morning, sir," Remus managed to say through his mother's arms.

"How are the two of you feeling?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders, averting her eyes away from Dumbledore. She felt better physically, but mentally was a different story. She still felt a great pain in her heart from the loss of Severus, and the fact that her shoulders were now burdened with the scar made her feel weary.

She hadn't allowed her mind to rest on the idea of being 'The-Girl-Who-Lived' that much since the whole incident happened, and she wasn't really looking forward to telling Dumbledore the story. As much as she cared for the old man, he would make a big deal about the whole thing. Plus - telling him that Voldemort was gone would cause an uproar.

The Headmaster sent her an unreadable look which she promptly ignored and instead, focused on Remus being fussed over by his mother.

"Oh, Remus, are you hurting anywhere? Do you feel fine? Are you hungry-"

"Mum," Remus smiled at her, "I'm fine. I got plenty of sleep last night, and I feel fine. No, I'm not hungry, and no, I'm not hurting anywhere."

The woman looked unsatisfied by the answer but dropped the fussing and sat down next to him on the bed, holding his hand tightly. To Hermione, she looked as if she were trying to keep herself from saying something else; but what, the girl didn't know.

There was a long stretch of silence, in which Dumbledore took out a bag of Sherbert Lemons and popped one into his mouth. He held the bag out to the occupants of the room, and only Hermione accepted one of the candies.

After another minute of pure quiet, Hermione finally sighed. "I suppose you want answers, Professor?"

The old man made a show of putting the candies back into his pocket before he took a seat in one of the chairs by the bed. "Indeed, that is what I want."

Wincing as memories suddenly invaded her mind, she nodded. "Ask away, then."

Looking at her for a long moment, he said, "Very well. First off, where is Mr. Snape?"

She paled significantly. She hadn't thought that that would be the first question out of Dumbledore's mouth. She opened her mouth, willing herself to answer, but nothing came out. Tears filled her eyes and she wiped at them roughly with one hand. No one said anything, and she had a feeling that, besides Remus, they had all come to the conclusion of what happened.

As she brought her hand down away from her face, she felt fingers entwine with hers. She looked over to see that Remus had moved closer to her, looking saddened. She smiled weakly at him, oblivious to the two adults that stared at them in slight shock.

"I'm very sorry for the loss, Hermione," Dumbledore said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder after prying his eyes away from the teens' hands. "The worst happens to the very best of us. But I don't think his death was in vain."

"I know," Hermione whispered, feeling slightly comforted. "He's in a better place now."

"Too right you are. Death should not be feared, as it is the next great adventure for us all."

She inwardly smiled. He was so predictable. "But he will be missed," she whispered, and the older man nodded his head solemnly.

As Hermione sat there, she once again wondered about the scar on her forehead. Harry's mother had sacrificed herself to save him, but what about Hermione? How had she survived? "He killed him," Hermione said quietly, the words escaping her mouth without her really noticing, "But he didn't sacrifice himself the way she did…? But how…?"

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione snapped out of her stupor, "Yes, sir?"

"What do you mean by 'sacrifice'?"

She paled a bit, but nonetheless, she moved her hair out of the way, revealing the still raw looking scar on her forehead. The Headmaster stared for a long moment, and finally, a dawning look of surprise appeared on his face.

"He's gone?"

Nodding, Hermione brought her knees up to his chest and wrapped her arms around them, despite Remus' attempts to hold her hand. "He's gone, but I don't understand why," she noted distantly. "Only if someone had sacrificed themselves out of love would the ancient spell work."

"And no one else was there to do so?" Isabel asked out of curiosity, not really understanding much of the conversation. "And who's gone?"

Hermione shook her head, "It was just me and Severus…" she trialed off, suddenly remembering something. "That energy… what was it?"

"Energy?"

"Yes," the witch replied, her mind working a mile a minute, "While confronting Voldemort, something happened. The ground shook and suddenly, this energy came out of nowhere and surrounded me. I wasn't sure what to think of it at the time, but it didn't harm me. I kept all the curses and hexes away from me."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "By any chance, do you have any idea when this happened?"

She shook her head, "I have no idea."

"Hm," the man stood up and paced around the room a bit, "What was the energy like?"

"Well," Hermione scrunched her face up, trying to remember exactly. "It was… strong. Really powerful, and it seemed… a bit wild."

"Wild?" Isabel asked.

Hermione nodded, "It was as if it weren't tamed - it couldn't be controlled."

"That is very interesting, Hermione," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard. "Would you mind storing that memory away and showing me later?"

Hermione hesitated. Did she really want anyone to see what happened? She felt a bit shaky, "I'll think about it."

Nodding in acceptance, Dumbledore sat up straighter in his chair. After a small stretch of silence, Isabel cleared her throat, bringing attention towards her. She looked over to the Headmaster and asked, "May I?"

Once again, the wizened man nodded, "I believe it is the right time to tell Remus about what happened."

The woman smiled brightly and Hermione noticed that her eyes were glistened with unshed tears. She turned her attention completely on the woman, hoping to get her mind to stop reeling. Remus too, put his attention on his mother.

"Mum?"

"Oh, Remus!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the russet haired boy again, "It's a miracle! A true miracle!"

"What is, mum?" he asked, gaggling slightly at the vice-like grip around his neck.

"It's gone! Poppy said there's no trace of it left in your system!"

Remus sent Hermione a confused and bewildered look, then looked at Dumbledore. Hermione asked curiously, despite everything else, "What's gone?"

Isabel loosened her grip on Remus and her grin was visible. She laughed, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was about to say, "Remus, dear. Your lycanthropy, it's gone! Gone- last night, when you collapsed, something happened to it!"

Silence.

Remus stared dumbstruck at his mother, as did Hermione. No one said anything, and the only noise was the slight crunching of the Sherbert Lemon that Dumbledore currently ate, and the quiet laughing from Isabel.

"Y-You can't be serious, can you?" Hermione whispered, not believing it. No one had ever been cured of lycanthropy, even in her original time.

"Ask Poppy if you must," she wiped at her eyes. "All tests said that it was gone - completely! Can you believe it?"

Remus continued to gape at the woman in front of him and eventually stuttered out, "No, I can't… are you serious?"

"Completely," she gushed happily, "I wouldn't lie about this. Do you actually think I would do something as cruel as that?"

Remus shook his head and stared at Hermione, "How could it happen, though?"

Hermione sat, wondering the same thing. "What exactly happened last night? No one has told me a thing."

Dumbledore cleared his throat lightly, "I would like to know the same thing. We have not gathered information from your point of view, Mr. Lupin. Could you elaborate for us?"

Remus looked sheepish for a long moment and avoided any eye contact.

"Honey?" Isabel said soothingly. "The Headmaster needs to know - it's the only way to find out what affected your Lycanthropy."

"I was angry and upset," he mumbled. Hermione had to strain her ears to listen. "I was scared for Hermione - I mean, everyone was, weren't they?" he looked around the room and Dumbledore nodded solemnly. He took a deep breath and stared down at his hands, "I felt angry…"

"And?" Isabel urged, staring lovingly at her son.

Remus shifted a bit in his seat and turned his head away from Hermione so that all she could see was the back of his head. "When I began feeling angry… something happened. I don't remember much, but all I know is I felt like I do when… when _he _comes out every month. After that, I don't remember much, until I woke up…"

Hermione stared at Remus' back, wondering what had happened to him the night before. Was he okay? What could have affected him to where he felt like it was the full moon when it wasn't even close to that time of the month?

She then turned her gaze to Dumbledore, staring quizzically at the old wizard. She could see a twinkle in his eyes, which caused her to wonder even more about what was going on. He obviously understood the story better than she, and Hermione didn't like that one bit. She respected the old wizard, but she knew he wouldn't tell either of the three other people in the room what he thought.

"I see. Well then, I believe it is time for us to get going. Poppy will check the two of you over and give you breakfast, and maybe after that, we will discuss the situations further." He efficiently put the conversation to a close and Hermione knew he knew something. He always did - and she would do her best to find out.

"Professor?" Hermione inquired, feeling a bit weary at the moment. "When we discuss this later, you will tell us _everything _you know about the situation, wont you?"

The man's eyes twinkled once he realized she had caught onto his plan, "I will tell what is necessary and leave the unneeded information out. There is no use in wasting time and breath on useless facts."

Hermione scowled at him, wanting nothing more than to criticize him about what he had just said. She was beginning to understand why Harry had always been so irritated at the man. He could be such a pain in the arse.

"I'd have to disagree," she told him stiffly. Then her mind suddenly went to something else that was bothering her. Once again, she repeated, "Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Please have someone get Severus."

Those simple words dampened the mood once more. Hermione's head hung and a few lingering tears fell from her eyes. Remus looked once more unsure of what to do, and a depressed sadness swept over the Headmaster.

"I will do what I can. We will give him a proper burial - it's the least we could do."

Hermione nodded soberly, and Dumbledore got up and walked towards the exit of the room and soon, she saw only the end of his cloak disappearing around the corner of the door and his footsteps echoed though the hall. She shot a glance at Remus and smiled sadly, but encouragingly.

"I take it you and your mother want to talk?"

Isabel sent her a symthetic smile, and nodded as well. "If you don't mind, dear."

"I don't mind at all," she told her serenely and got up off the bed. She hesitated before she walked towards Remus, who in turn seemed unsure of how to handle the situation.

In the end, he stood up and gave her a quick kiss and hugged her. Isabel smiled broadly at the two of them, although they were both oblivious to the action as Hermione turned around after hugging him back to go find a bed further down the room.

She lay down, her mind completely zoning all surrounding sounds out of her mind. She was still exhausted she realized, despite the fact that she had felt quite awake just moments before.

It was that, or she just wanted to go to sleep and forget about her worries for the time being. Either way, she closed her eyes and dozed off, the last thought trailing through her mind being of Remus, and his newfound situation.

Life would never be the same.

* * *

"Get out of my way, Black," snarled a steely voice full of annoyance. 

"What if I don't?"

"I'll hex you to Hades and back."

Hermione blinked furiously as she woke up, the light from the evening sun flaring through the open window next to her and blinding her momentarily.

She looked around for a moment, trying to pinpoint where the voices were coming from in the room. She couldn't see anyone at the moment, as a bed's curtain hung in the way, but she could distinctively make out the voices. It was Sirius and Lucius.

Oh shit.

"Why are you so insistent to see her? Knowing you, you'll just hex her!" Sirius shouted cruelly.

She heard and irritable sigh, "And why would I do that? Unlike you, I would like to speak to her."

"I have spoken to her!"

"Only out of guilt, I presume."

Hermione hurried out of the bed and walked around the curtains, knowing she must look rather odd in the white hospital pajama's, tangled hair, and various injuries, plus sleep still clouded her features.

"Sirius, leave Lucius alone," she said quietly as she moved closer to them, a yawn escaping her lips.

"Leave him alone? Hermione, he's a Slytherin!"

"So? And you're a Gryffindor. There's no difference," she told him pointedly, but knew that the point didn't go across to him.

"But-"

She groaned outwardly, showing her annoyance, "Sirius! Please!"

He shut his mouth quickly and looked away. "I'll never understand you."

"And I doubt I'd ever understand you," she replied, rolling her eyes but then stared hesitantly at Lucius. "Sirius, would you mind leaving us to talk? Alone?"

He eyed the other boy coolly, "I wont leave you completely alone, but I will go stand outside. If he tries anything, give a shout and I'll be here quicker than that muggle fuc-"

"SIRIUS!"

With a twitch of his lips, Sirius stalked out of the room, efficiently finishing his cursing under his breath.

There was silence for a moment and Hermione played with the cuff of her pajama shirt, noticing for the first time that Remus was no where in sight. She supposed that he was with his mother at the time being.

After a minute, Lucius cleared his throat. "I heard something at lunch today."

Hermione felt her heart sink. "Oh?"

"So he's gone?"

"Voldemort?"

"No, you know who I'm talking about.

The girl winced, "Yes.. I'm so sorry, Lucius."

"Don't be sorry to me. Us Slytherin's look out for ourselves and ourselves only. His loss may be great, but we best not dwell. It's not proper."

Hermione gave a small chuckle. "Though everything will be changing now, some things wont change, will they?"

"I wouldn't count on it," was his amused reply. He swiped at a strand of blonde hair that had fallen into his face and looked around the room for a moment.

"I wouldn't either," she gave him a small smile. "Being the savior of the wizarding world wont be one of those on that list though."

He gave her a look, "I'm glad I'm not you."

"_I'm _glad you think that," she told him. "I'm not exactly fond of the idea of being praised for something I didn't do."

"What do you mean?"

"It wasn't me that killed Voldemort," she gave him a crooked grin.

"Then who was it?" he inquired curiously. He'd obviously thought she herself had defeated him but he probably didn't know all the details. No one really did, she mused.

She shrugged, telling him she didn't know either. That still nagged at her, but she figured that she'd find out soon enough. She'd pry it out of Dumbledore if she had too, but she wasn't sure if even he would know.

"That's amusing," he told her, thinking deeply. "Are you sure you don't know who it was?"

"Positive," she told him.

"Well," the Slytherin said curtly, "If you ever find out who the person is, tell me as I would like to… thank them."

She felt a broad smile stretch across her face. Lucius thanking someone? That was definitely unusual. She was about to say something to him about it but was interrupted when her stomach let out a loud growl.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah," she looked sheepishly at Lucius. "I haven't eaten… in a while."

"Dinner's about to start," he told her offhandedly.

"Okay, I'll just get changed," she told him before heading off to her previous bed, where a school robe was hanging on the end. She quickly changed into it, her stomach once more protesting with hunger.

Soon, she walked out of the hospital wing with Lucius behind her. Sirius was still waiting outside and he scowled at the other boy when he came into view. He still wouldn't leave Hermione alone with him, so the three of them walked through the school and into the Great Hall.

There's always a first time for everything - and Sirius walking along with a Slytherin was a definite first.

Despite the awed faces of the students when they set eyes on Hermione, they gawked at Sirius and Lucius. It was definitely a picture moment.

* * *

The day passed by in a blur of faces and various conversations. 

Hermione couldn't recall much by the time night had fallen over the castle, as too much was clouding her mind still.

She hadn't gotten to talk much to Remus, as him and his mother were talking things over about his lycanthropy - or what had been his lycanthropy.

Sirius, James, and Peter tried to comfort Hermione, but she assured them that she would be fine, and eventually, after quite a few uncertain looks, they left her alone in the common room. She now sat at one of the window seats, looking out over the snow covered grounds of Hogwarts and the forbidden forest which was outlined with stars in the winter sky.

She felt as ease, and after the many talks with the people she had come to love in that era, she had finally moved a bit from Severus' death. She wouldn't ever forget it, but she wouldn't let it hold her back from the future.

She signed, wiping at the fogged up window beside her. The day had been long and tedious, people asking her many questions about Voldemort. She knew that the death of the Dark Lord would be published the next day in headline news, and he wasn't looking forward to that.

She wasn't ready for fame - she didn't want it. That's how Harry must have felt. But she would ignore it if need be. She was still the same old Hermione Granger, right?

Smiling a bit, she began thinking about what else would happen in the future. She had to scratch out all her past years, because she knew they would never happen. Time was completely changed - Voldemort was gone and James and Lily would live, as would Sirius and the others. Peter wouldn't turn traitor, and maybe, just maybe, he'd stay loyal to his friends. And then there was Remus.

What would she do now? She knew she loved Remus, and he loved her. They were now officially going out, and she was a bit jittery about that thought, and her heart thumped heavily in her chest as the mere thought of him. She hoped that life would grant a better future for him - with or without her in it.

She leaned back against the wall supporting her from behind and stared up at the dog star.

More thoughts of Remus and the war slowly began creeping into her mind and she realized that, once again, she was at a major changing point in her life. She'd fulfilled the prophecy appointed to her, and successfully ridded of Voldemort with only one casualty.

She'd been in the past for such a short time, but even within those few months, she had accomplished more than she thought to be natural. She'd done a great deed for the world, she told herself.

She sat at the window for a long time, unsure of the actual time. She didn't move until she heard the portrait hole open and she glanced over to see who it was.

Her heart hammered a bit as she met the hazel gaze of the used-to-be werewolf. She smiled warmly at him and he returned the gesture while walking up to her.

Hesitantly, he reached out and pulled her into a gentle but firm hug. She smiled into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her calmly.

"I'm fine, now, thanks. How about you?"

Remus let go of her and she leaned back against the wall and window. His expression softened, "I'm confused, but happy. This has got to be one of the best years of my life."

Hermione grinned at him, "I take it that you've accepted your Lycanthropy being gone?"

"Yeah," he grinned a bit, excitement bubbling up into his eyes, "But that's not what I was talking about."

Hermione looked at him oddly, "I don't understand then. Aren't you glad it's gone?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed, "But this is the best year of my life because of you!"

She flushed deeply and felt warmth spread through her limbs. She looked outside again, but she didn't really see what lay outside the window.

"You know," she whispered, "I was afraid when I first came here. I didn't think I belonged, and I thought that I wouldn't make it far after I heard the prophecy made about me. But then… then you made it all better. Now I _know _I can survive out here without my old friends and my family."

There was a length of silence, "I'm glad," Remus whispered back, once again wrapping her into a hug from behind. They both stared out of the window, their reflections looking back at them through the fog.

"This is it," she told him quietly, "the new beginning."

"You ready for it?" Remus asked seriously.

"You bet."

And with those two words, it started. The new beginning, which would lead them all to lives anew from their old paths, and set them on the road to the unknown.

* * *

**EPILOGUE COMING SOON**

A/N: Okay, so this is the ending of this story. I'm rather saddened that I've already finished it, but in a way, I'm a bit glad. I don'g really like how the middle of this chapter was written, and I may go back and edit it later. Also, I have thoughts of writing a **sequel.** If I do though, it may be a while before I get it out, as I'm starting to work at my job a lot more and I have a few other stories to catch up on.

Before I go, I want to thank all of my faithful readers for reading and I hope you weren't dissapointed in the end. Please stay tuned, as the epilogue will be written soon. Thank you all for all the feedback for this story, and helping me get through it.

Min


	25. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.**

* * *

A/N: Now for the encore!

**Thanks **ilovelobsters, Following Padfoot's Pawprints, Caligirl-HPLVR, The Insane Imortal Dragon, Serpent91, Nercia Genisis, ourlittlesecret7, Reanne1102, WhiteTwitch, Kersies, Rubber Ducky Loser, and TheTrioLivesOn **for the wonderful reviews!**

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

"And while we have all gathered here in memory of Severus Snape, who passed away the day before Christmas eve, we wish him good luck on his travel onto his next adventure beyond us. His death is a great loss for us all but will not go in vain. We shall remember him well through our hearts and memories."

Hermione wiped a tear away from her eyes. So many people had showed up for Severus' funeral, that day, which just so happened to be the ninth of January - the Slytherin's birthday.

Her, along with almost seventy other people were gathered in a small, but very well-kept cemetery on the outskirts of London where the funeral was to take place.

To her immense surprise, Peter, James, and even Sirius had shown up for the ceremonies. Lily, Lucius, and the other Slytherin's who had known him came also, who stood far away from the Gryffindor's but not too far away from Hermione. Some of the professor's had even taken time off their schedules to come along to see the final parting of Severus.

It was now in the middle of January - so many days gone without the Slytherin boy at her side, Hermione realized. But she had gotten by well, and Remus was always trying to keep her mind positive about the situation.

Speaking of Remus, her and his relationship was going along steadily and without incident. Their affection towards one another was something that was becoming well known throughout Hogwarts, between students and Professor's. Neither of them really cared about the publicity that Hermione and Remus were receiving, but people were completely awed by the two of them.

For Remus, it was because of a leak in secrecy and his loss of Lycanthropy attracted many wizarding scientists, reporters, and various cursed werewolves looking for a cure. Sadly, Remus could only tell him he didn't have any idea of what had happened to it, leaving some rather dampened spirits to brood, to say the least.

As for Hermione; her publicity from killing the Dark Lord Voldemort was definitely well known. She was now labeled as The-Girl-Who-Lived. Death Eaters under the Imperius curse that night had spoken to the press of the Daily Prophet about her bringing forth unimaginable power to defeat the evil wizard, and she had even survived after an _Avada Kedavra _curse had hit her.

Hermione didn't like the publicity - it annoyed her greatly. Either she would be stared at constantly, approached by random strangers wanting her autograph, or by reporters asking for her side of the story. There was much more to it, but the girl only tried to ignore it in sheer hope that it would go away. She had no idea how Harry put up with it all.

A breeze of wind picked up, blowing her hair into her face. She chanced a glance at Remus, he looked quite solemn while listening attentively to the old priest whom stood by the newly dug hole where Severus' casket would be lowered. He must have sensed her staring, as he turned to face her and gave a gentle squeeze to her hand, which he held.

She gave him a watery smile, but kept the tears back. She'd shed enough tears, she thought. As much as she wanted it all to end, she had to be strong; for herself, for Remus, and for the memories of Harry, Ginny, Ron, and her parents.

"He led a life of obstacles, but his heart stayed strong. He had his friends, his family, and those who cared."

Hermione knew he didn't have much of a family to keep him going, but she knew that he had friends - whether he believed it or not.

"He will be remembered - and his spirit will go on."

"Amen," Hermione whispered, bowing her head a bit while her eyes became hooded.

There was more whispered and mumbled "amen's", and then a bit of quiet talking. Hermione looked up to see the priest and Dumbledore talking to one another, then the priest nodded and moved away from where he stood. Dumbledore took his place.

He cleared his throat and all eyes swerved to him, "Severus Snape was a good boy. Very ambitious, and quite smart for his age. I remember when he first entered Hogwarts and was sorted into his respected House. He was accepted with open arms, and has been, there since, one of the most noble students that have ever come to Hogwarts."

Hermione smiled as Dumbledore continued to speak about her friend, saying nothing but positive things about his life.

After about ten minutes of his speech, he nodded to the audience and retreated back into the crowd. The priest looked up, seeing if anyone else would speak up for the boy. For a moment, no one moved, until Hermione gave Remus a smile and let go of his hand.

She could feel his gaze on her back as she retreated up to where the casket resided. She took a deep breath and glanced at the object that held her dead friend inside. She cleared her throat, trying to work words out from her tight throat as she looked away and into the expecting crowd.

"When I first came to Hogwarts," Hermione began, her memories flashing before her eyes of new and old. "I thought Severus Snape to be mean and sarcastic. I'm sure many people felt that way, but they never took the time to get to know the real Severus. They only saw what lay on the outside in his appearance and his attitude.

"In truth, he was a sweet boy, who cared deeply for what others thought of him. He might have been a Slytherin, but he was human. He had feelings, just as you and I do." Her eyes drifted to where Sirius stood and the boy looked partially guilty she realized. She breathed in deeply and continued, "I was one of the few people who actually took the time to get to know him. What I learned from Severus, I will never learn from anyone else the same way I did from him- he showed me just how much it hurts to lose a loved one.

"All my life, I've had friends that stuck by my side, through the good and the bad. But when I first arrived at the school, even though I had people willing to accept me as I was. I was more than happy for the gestures, but I found a difficult time in getting to know Severus."

Everyone stared at her, even Remus. None of them knew what she was talking about, and they listened eagerly as she continued. How they became friends had been a mystery to them all, even to the other Slytherin's.

"The first time I ran into him, I recall making a potion down in an abandoned dungeon classroom that I had been given permission to use. He hadn't known I was there, and we practically ran into each other when I tried to leave and he tried to enter. I also recall seeing him being picked on the previous afternoon, and had tried to help him then. He was a bit sour," she laughed slightly at remembering, "but after we spoke for a while, we began to actually get to know each other. He was one of the most brilliant people I had ever known. He was smart, dignified, and above all, one of the best friends I could ask for.

"Many people have been lost in this war," she stated pointedly and a few people nodded around the crowd. "I myself, have lost quite a few people but not in the same way as I lost Severus. But something he said to me before he died will remain with me until, I too, die. He said to me, 'You wont lose me, Hermione. I'll always be there. You can't get rid of a Slytherin that easily.' And I believe, as long as we remember him in our hearts, he will be here with us."

Nods followed her speech, and she could have sworn she heard some people blowing their noses. But she wasn't completely don't with her speech. She stood up straighter and pointed her wand towards his gravestone, that took shape of a brilliantly white marbled angel and whispered an incantation.

She watched as spidery cursive words etched themselves into the blank plague at the bottom of the stone.

_In Loving Memory of  
__Severus Snape_

_Jan. 9, 1959 - Dec. 23, 1976_

_Son of Tobias and Eileen Snape_

'_Death is naught but the next great adventure for us all.'_

'_He will be remembered.'_

"He will be remembered," Hermione repeated the sentence, looking out into the crowd but her eyes landed on her boyfriend, Remus. He gave her a nod and smile, warming her heart.

She walked back to where Remus and the others stood, quite a few eyes on her. She allowed the russet haired boy to slip an arm around her waste and pull her close to him. She leant against him, breathing in his scent along with the smells of roses and other flowers that had been brought to the funeral.

The funeral proceeded as a few more individuals stood up to speak about the deceased boy. It was all very touching in Hermione's opinion.

After about forty-five minutes of speeches, they got ready to lower the casket into the ground. Hermione and Remus stood next to Dumbledore near the front, watching as they lowered Severus' body into the ground.

It seemed like forever until it reached the bottom. With a soft thud, it landed and the robes were taken away, leaving the wooden object to lay on it's own.

People moved forward, each holding a red rose. They all stood, one by one by the newly dug grave and said their prayers before allowing the roses to drop onto the casket.

She watched as Sirius went up to it, and proclaimed, "I know we were never, ever friends, but I want you to know that I was wrong about you. You're not a slimy git - and I was wrong to think that. I hope you rest well." then he dropped the rose and walked away, avoiding all eye contact.

Hermione's mouth twitched into a smile. Sirius might still be a prat sometimes, but he at least tried to make amends.

After a few minutes, Hermione and Remus were left. They decided that they would go as one, and stepped up together.

"Well," Remus started, unsure of what to say. "I can't say much about you - I didn't know you well. I'm sorry about all the years my friends and I treated you horrifically, and I hope that you may forgive us, wherever you are."

The Gryffindor girl nodded and smiled sadly at him and he continued, "Even if you can't hear me, I want to thank you for being there with Hermione when she faced… Voldemort. I don't know what I would have done without her."

Hermione's face flushed and she looked away. The ex-werewolf continued his speech, and Hermione was soon close to tears. He sounded like he meant every word that he said and she knew that he more than likely did.

When he finished, he nudged Hermione, who started with surprise.

She looked down at the grave, then at the ruby red rose in her hands and vaguely noticed that it had a tint of white around the tips of the petals. She twirled it idly between her fingers, ignoring the prickle of thorns from the stem.

"Severus, you're a good friend," she said, using a present tense instead of past like everyone else had. "I'll never forget you, you know. You taught me so much and I only wish I could return that favor. I miss you, and I hope that you're happy wherever you are now. I want you to be happy. As cruel as life was, and is, you deserve much better. I only wish you could have had that."

She smiled sadly at the twirling rose in her hands, not really seeing it, but seeing beyond into old memories of her and Severus, brewing in the potions lab, talking with Lucius, and just having fun.

"I will miss you."

The rose dropped from her fingers, twirling it's last dance in the light. It toppled onto the casket with a muffled thump as it landed atop the crimson sea of red. But she didn't stop there. Her eyes fixed firmly on the rose she dropped, she lifted her hands up to her neck.

After a moment of fumbling, she unclasped a necklace around her neck. Remus watched in confusion.

Hermione fingered the piece of jewelry, which just so happened to be her locket - the locket that contained Ron, Harry, and Ginny's pictures inside. She gave it a sad, longing smile.

"What's that?" Remus asked curiously.

She didn't look at him. "It's my only connection to my old life," she whispered and opened it, allowing Remus to see the pictures inside. "Harry, Ron, Ginny…"

Remus wrapped an arm around her waist in a comforting way and pulled her close to him.

"You miss them," it wasn't a question.

Her eyes glistened a bit when she looked up, "Yes, but the future is changed too much. I will never see them as I knew, even if I did go back."

He nodded in understanding, though she knew he couldn't know the complete pain it brought her.

"My life has been completely changed," she tilted her head to the side, staring at the rose-shaped locket. "I'll never see the Harry, Ron, and Ginny I once knew. I'll never see my mum, or my dad. I'll never even see.. Severus in his adulthood." She gave a choked laugh, "And I'm going to miss it. I never thought I'd say that before."

With a quizzical look, Hermione said, "He was one hell of a prat as a professor."

He chuckled lightly, his other arm wrapping around her as he pulled her close. He looked over her shoulder and watched as she toyed with the locket.

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

Hermione shifted a bit, holding the locket out into the light. "Do you think it's time I let go of the past and look forward to what is to come?"

Remus was silent for a long time before he whispered, "You should always move forward, but never forget. Memories are what hold us together - without them, we'd be nothing."

The girl nodded slightly, "I should let go of my past and take up my new future."

Her hands tightly gripped onto the golden chain before she tossed it upwards - high in the air as it spun before descending down. The chain and locket itself sparkled in the sunlight, and the smiling faces of her friends were visible from the photographs for mere seconds before it plummeted downwards into the grave where it landed on the layers of roses.

And Hermione turned away, not looking back. She would leave her past behind. It was all she could do. Her fingers entwined with Remus', and she knew then, that she had done the right thing.

She had let go.

* * *

Lily stood beside a large broken grave of a grey angel, quite a ways away from where Severus' funeral was being held. The ceremonies were over and everyone was gathering to leave soon. All who were left only lingered because of memories.

She was knelt down in the deadened grass, placing random flowers on graves that looked quite neglected. She smiled and gave her respects to them.

She was just finishing laying a couple of roses against the base of the angel statue when she heard the sound of a twig snapping. She whipped around, and breathed a sign of relief when she saw who it was.

James stood there, hesitantly with his hands thrust into his jeans pockets and his scarf tied high against his neck, keeping the cold out.

Lily offered a smile and stood up, dusting her hands off lightly on her coat.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" James asked as he walked forward, taking uncertain steps around the graves.

"I'm just thinking," she replied and brushed a strand of fiery red hair out of her eyes. "You?"

"Thinking," he nodded. "You know. About everything that's been going on."

Lily nodded as well, albeit solemnly. "Yeah. I hope Hermione will be okay."

"I do too," he said unsurely. "I mean, I've only known her for a while, but she's changed my life in so many ways."

Lily looked questionably at him. "In what ways?" she asked.

"I've learned that… maturity comes with a price."

"A price?" she asked with raised eyebrows. From what she gathered, he hadn't lost anything.

"Yeah," he said, then ruffled the back of his hair up nervously. "And it comes with a reward."

"James," Lily said warningly, "You're confusing me, and yourself. Make sense."

He blushed sheepishly for a moment, "What I meant was… all that's happened… has shown me responsibility."

Lily's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open slightly. Did she hear right? James Potter and the word maturity used positively in a sentence?

"Y-You and… and Responsibility," she said feebly.

"Yes," he said indignantly although his face was still colored a deep pink. "And well, I was hoping…"

Lily knew what was coming up. She had that gut feeling that had once told her to run. But she didn't this time - she held fast to the ground below her feet. "Yes?" she inquired with a bit of hesitancy.

"I was… hoping you'd go out with me?" he said evenly, his eyes focused on her.

Lily's breath stopped. She stared at James, calculatingly. Should she tell him her feelings?

She sighed, breathing in deeply afterwards. She then found a place to sit down on the ground, bringing her knee's up to her chest. She looked up at James, who had doubt written all over his face. She motioned for him to sit down, which he did, but watched his space.

"James," she began, "I know that you've… _liked _me for a long time. Whether it was real or not, I don't kno-"

James looked affronted, "It was real! Lily, I've liked since the first time I met you!"

Her lips twitched slightly. "Yes, let me finish." James looked away, his ears flaming red. "James.. Remember, not too long ago, you started to get those letters?"

He nodded, ears becoming redder. She had to hold back the laugh that began bubbling up in her chest. "Well, let me tell you a small story."

He looked incredulously at her but she silenced him with a look. She took in a deep breath before looking up into the sky at the puffy white clouds. "You see, there once was a muggleborn witch. She had a mother, father, and a sister whom she loved dearly. But only her mother and father's feelings were mutual. Her sister would pick on this girl because of what she was, calling her horrible names out of spite; she was cruel and mean. But her muggbleborn sister knew she didn't mean it, and when she went off to school, she began to realize just _how _different she was. She wasn't popular in muggle standards, nor in wizarding, but she still had ease fitting in. She realized that 'how' was just like 'why' she was different.

"She never tried to be someone she wasn't. She always tried her best and worked hard to get her studies up and to make friends. That's what made her different. Most of the people in the world have been molded into people they _want _to be. And because of that, she refused to acknowledge the people around her who were determined to be someone they weren't."

Lily glanced at James, realizing he looked as if he had no idea where the story was going, and in truth, Lily didn't either. "Then a boy came along. He was popular, handsome, and annoying, acting like all the other popular wannabe's. The girl despised him for so long that that's all she ever knew about him. Her _distaste_ for him had grown; although she'd never really gotten to know the real him and was only annoyed by his constant - and failed - attempts to ask her out. She only saw what lay on the outside , but slowly, she began growing feelings for the boy despite her constant denial. Then another girl came along - one that was smart, and knew how to speak her mind.

"She showed the girl that if she loved someone or something, to show it and not hide it away. The girl realized that the boy who showed his affection only showed it to her because of his love - whether it was true or not from the beginning, she realized that in the end… he truly did love her. And she loved him."

The boy next to her stiffened and she chanced a shy glance at him. He was looking at her with wide eyes.

"Y-You mean… you… you were… you.."

She gave a strangled laugh, trying to hide her embarrassment. "It was me, sending you those letters. I was too scared to face you in person."

"Y…you…" his voice trailed off and he stared dumbly at her, his eyes as large as saucers.

She felt her face redden at his staring, but she was quite amused by his stuttering. "James, all I'm trying to say is… yes, I'll go out with you."

James snapped out of his stupor and a large, stupid grin appeared on his face. Lily laughed at him, trying to shrug off her embarrassment.

He stood up quickly and let out a loud '_whoop_!' that she knew could be heard throughout the whole cemetery. He was laughing and cheering all at the same time while doing some kind of victory dance.

It took quite a few minutes before his excitement died down. After a few more moments, he looked down at Lily, "You don't know how _happy _I am to finally hear that."

Lily grinned, and extended her hand which James promptly took with a grin of his own. He hoisted her off the ground and their fingers entwined as they stood side by side.

"What do you think your friends will say about this?" Lily asked with mock concern, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"They wont believe it at first," he said, "but I think my shouting may have given the truth away."

Lily laughed outright at that statement. She wouldn't be surprised if the whole of Hogwarts knew they were a couple by the time they got back, he had been so loud.

The wind picked up and James tugged on her hand, pulling her forward and onto the path that would lead them to the others. She followed, looking up into the sky once more as the wind picked up slightly, her red and yellow scarf brushing lightly against her cheek. She could see James out of the corner of her eye, and smiled.

Things were defiantly going to change, she though. The whole year had been full of surprises, and she knew that there were more to come.

The seasons were changing; in more than one way and life was headed in a new direction.

* * *

**TIME WARPED TEASERS UP **

(Sequel to Seasons Change)

A/N: Epilogue up! Yay! Now, for those of you who want to read some TEASERS for the sequel, please look under 'Time Warped' on my profile. That WILL be what the next story is called. And I've posted a chapter (rather short, mind you) of three teasers from the upcoming story that I have planned. Keep in mind that I wont be writing that story for a while yet, but if you want, you can keep an eye on it in case I update. I tend to get bored and update anyways.


	26. NOTE Sequel Up!

I've officially started writing the sequel, Time Warped. If you're interested, check it out, please. :D 


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